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Staff report: Silicon Heartland roundabouts, Stockwell Road funding and county role in school frontage acquisitions
Summary
Staff told the Delaware County TI board a Silicon Heartland contract will begin roundabout work in May, Stockwell Road funding was recommended for OPWC concurrence, and Tangi Local Schools has asked the county to help acquire right‑of‑way for frontage improvements. The board asked for more information before committing to acquisition work.
Rob Riley, Delaware County’s chief deputy engineer, delivered a monthly staff briefing that covered multiple road projects, grant applications and a request from Tangi Local Schools for help acquiring right-of-way for new school frontage.
Riley said work on the Center Village roundabout under the Silicon Heartland regional contract is expected to begin in May and take about two months, with subsequent work at the Fantry Road intersection lasting another two months. “Total contract amount on that job is about $4.7 million and again that's 100% reimbursed by the ODOT through the Silicon Heartland program,” Riley said.
Riley also reported that phase B of the I‑71 (36 3771) interchange is moving through right-of-way acquisition and that ODOT has applied for a US DOT grant to help fund that phase; the board expects notice on that application this summer or fall. He said the Orange Grade Separation continues in final plan development with construction still targeted for 2028.
On Stockwell Road, Riley said District 17 recommended funding just under $400,000; if OPWC concurs, a grant agreement would be released around July 1, the county would advertise bids in June and aim to award at the July 8 meeting so construction could occur this fall.
Riley described a Tangi Local Schools project on Bunny Station Road: the school expects to pay for the necessary widening but asked the county to assist with right‑of‑way acquisition tasks such as appraisals and negotiations. Board members questioned whether school districts possess the same eminent‑domain or quick‑take authority as a county or highway department; Riley and members agreed the legal specifics were not resolved in this meeting and that more information would be needed before the county would undertake acquisitions on the school’s behalf.
Riley also said ODOT has opened applications for T grants with $9 million available this cycle (up from a typical $4.5 million). He intends to apply for $500,000 for the Bixby Parkway project, which he described as a roughly $5 million project with expected local economic benefits tied to nearby development.
Board members raised concerns about ensuring all affected jurisdictions share the burden of right‑of‑way acquisition and emphasized they would want more details before authorizing the county to file for or undertake a taking. No formal action on right‑of‑way assistance was taken at the meeting.
