Miami Student

Issue date: 9/11/07 Section: Community

Construction on U.S. Route 27 will create a bike path, a left turn lane and a sidewalk for residents following completion of the $1.8 million project. --Andy Bayloy/The Miami Student

Construction is on schedule along northbound U.S. Route 27, but residents and businesses along the dusty and torn up road are feeling the impacts of the expansion project.

The one-mile construction zone starts at the intersection of Locust and Church streets on U.S. Route 27 and ends at U.S. Route 27 and Merry Day Drive.

Roadwork started in May is now in the second phase of construction and should result in a widened Route 27.

Developments of the construction will include a sidewalk along both sides of the road and a wider curb lane, according to Oxford Vice Mayor Prue Dana.

Oxford City Councilor Alan Kyger said that the construction should be complete by this December, with minor touch-ups continuing into the spring.

Sidewalks that will be created will also be able to function as a bike path, Dana said. Previously, pedestrians and cyclists had a very narrow curb lane to travel along.

Other developments should include the creation of tree lawns on both sides of the road as well as a center lane that will allow left turn traffic, according to Kyger.

The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) administers the road project and is collaborating with the city on the process. The state is financing 70 percent of funds along with 30 percent from the city. The city is spending nearly $1.8 million on this project, Kyger said.

Dana said the construction is coming along well and the outlook looks good for the end result.

"The construction is going very well and according to schedule," Dana said. "We have to thank residents and businesses for being so patient with everything."

As Dana said, businesses and residents have been frustrated with the dust, noise, and overall effects that the construction has brought to the area.

KDS Gas Owner Jim Smith feels that the construction is a frustrating, albeit necessary, process.

"The construction company has been accommodating and sensitive to our requests," Smith said. "I can't complain because in the long run it is going to be beneficial."

Continued...

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