Enjoy driving in circles? You might be in luck — another roundabout is planned for Athens.
The roundabout would be one of several road construction projects to make more direct routes through campus and Uptown Athens.
The plan, dubbed the “Northeast Campus Roadway Concept,” consists of separate projects primarily surrounding South Green, the Hocking River and Stimson Avenue.
The projects, according to university documents, include:
· A roundabout on city-owned Stimson Avenue
· A connector road running north to south from Stimson Avenue to Mill Street,
currently used as the Mill Street Apartment’s driveway
· Repaved sidewalks on McKinley Avenue
· A connection between McKinley Avenue and East Union Street, creating a
direct path up Jeff Hill into Uptown
· Expanding South Green Drive, which runs along the Hocking and next to the
back of South Green, to include parking relocations, sidewalks and wider,
re-paved roads
· A loop road connecting South Green Drive and Mill Street
These components could be implemented in different phases, dramatically modified or cut completely, said Harry Wyatt, vice president for Facilities.
The entire cost of the project is estimated at $6 million, but university officials haven’t decided how the whole project will be funded, Wyatt said.
Construction will begin this summer with the “loop road” connecting South Green to Mill Street. Board of Trustees approved that $1.5 million construction at its Friday meeting, which will be funded through reserves from Culinary Services, Residential Housing as well as Transportation and Parking Services.
The new road system is designed to create larger lawns on South Green.
“One of the net results of this is going to be a lot of green space,” said OU President Roderick McDavis. “That whole area becomes green with what we’re proposing here.”
The connection between South Green Drive and Mill Street would involve construction on Athens properties and requires Athens City Council’s approval.
Wyatt presented the plan to council on Jan. 6, but he said discussions on the connection have been ongoing for more than a year.
“We’ve had lots and lots of discussion over the past year and a half, some relating to what kind of legal instruments are necessary in order for the city of Athens to accept the improvements that Ohio University will make on that newly-created section of Mill Street,” Wyatt said.
Wyatt worked with Paula Horan-Moseley, Athens’ service-safety director, prior to talking with the council in order to see what engineering the project would entail, said Councilwoman Chris Knisely, D-at large.
“They don’t want to get too far along in engineering without seeing if this makes sense,” Knisely said.
OU is asking for funding from the Ohio Department of Transportation for all the projects, but Athens will have to contribute financially to some of the construction located on city property, Wyatt said.
OU will work closely with the city on all projects except the expansion of South Green Drive, which is almost entirely university property.
Knisely said she looks forward to continued discussion on the roadways as the plan progresses in order to improve access to the campus, as well as the possibilities of a Stimson Avenue roundabout.
“This begins the next step of the discussion process,” Knisely said. “It’s certainly only one step in the process.”
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