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Council approves ODOT-funded roundabout at SR 585 and Geyer Chapel Road
Summary
The Worcester City Council approved a resolution authorizing an agreement with the State of Ohio and ODOT to build a single‑lane roundabout at State Route 585 and Geyer Chapel Road. ODOT will bid the project in May with construction expected this summer; the city would only pay if bids exceed current estimates, up to a capped maximum.
Worcester City Council on March 17 approved a resolution authorizing the director of administration to enter into an agreement with the State of Ohio and the Ohio Department of Transportation to construct a single‑lane roundabout at the intersection of State Route 585 and Geyer Chapel Road.
Council members were told ODOT’s current construction estimate is about $2,300,000 and the city would be required to contribute only if construction costs exceed the currently allotted $2,562,650; council staff said the city’s maximum exposure would be $545,000 if bids come in significantly higher. Council voted to adopt the measure and placed it on immediate enactment.
The mayor’s office and staff framed the project as a safety, not a congestion, improvement: staff reported 21 crashes at the intersection over a four‑year period and said the site qualified for ODOT safety funds. “This is actually a safety concern, not a congestion concern,” a staff member said during the discussion.
Council members pressed for clarification about the city’s financial exposure and construction timing. Staff said ODOT plans to advertise bids in May, with a construction window aimed to start in late spring and finish by September. Councilors also raised questions about detours and local traffic impacts; staff said the official detour will use state routes (likely US‑30 and SR‑57) but acknowledged local roads could see increased traffic and that contractors are normally required to maintain local roads damaged by construction traffic.
Several council members said the long‑term cost advantage of doing the work now — instead of waiting until growth makes a signal necessary — weighed in favor of approving the agreement. One councilor summarized the rationale: if the city does nothing now and a signal becomes necessary later, the full cost would fall to the city at a higher future price.
The measure was voted and enacted at the meeting. Construction timing, detour routing and contractor maintenance obligations will be set during ODOT’s forthcoming procurement and contract process.
The council’s approval lets ODOT proceed with bidding and design work on a schedule that aims for summer construction.
