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Council committee reviews funding, timeline for State Route 682/56 roundabout project
Summary
Council committee discussed authorizing contracts and appropriations for a single-lane roundabout at the SR 682 and SR 56 intersection (project 357), noted ODOT and OPWC grants, and emphasized maintaining traffic during construction and meeting ODOT bid deadlines.
The Athens City Council transportation committee on March 10 discussed authorization and appropriations to advance a single-lane roundabout at the intersection of State Route 682 and State Route 56 (project number 357), including grant funding, a construction budget and a tight ODOT timeline.
Jeff Reiser, president pro tem of council who chaired committee sessions, summarized the ordinance language and financing: "the city has been awarded $2,390,000 from ODOT and $400,000 from OPWC" for the project, and the ordinance would appropriate additional local funds and authorize the service-safety director to enter construction contracts. Reiser also said the service-safety director "assures me that in the process of doing this construction, that there will never be any blockage, that we can always get through there." He said that requirement is part of the bidding documents.
Reiser told the committee the project must be bid and awarded before June 30 to meet ODOT schedule requirements, and that the construction window is planned for summer 2025 through the end of summer 2026. Committee members noted the intersection has been identified as a high-severity crash location and as a congestion choke point when the university is in session.
The ordinance text distributed to the committee included appropriation and expenditure figures. Reiser read that the service-safety director is authorized to expend up to $4,620,000 in combined funds for the project, with specified appropriations from the street fund and grant funds to match the ODOT and OPWC awards. He said the city will include language to require maintenance of all four directions during construction and that a temporary signal and phased construction (building in quadrants) could be used to keep traffic moving.
Committee members asked that the city coordinate with the school district transportation supervisor to avoid impacts on bus routing and the school day, especially near Morrison Elementary. No final vote was recorded in committee; members said the ordinance and appropriation will return for formal readings at a regular council session.
No formal amendments or votes occurred during the committee discussion.
