ATHENS, Ohio — Athens City Council’s Transportation Committee discussed two major construction projects on Monday: a roundabout at the intersection of State Routes 56 and 682 and an Uptown beautification plan.
The committee also discussed plans for street closure ordinances related to upcoming fairs and festivals this summer and fall.
The SR 682/56 roundabout is necessary because the state has identified the intersection as a high-severity crash location, said Transportation Committee Chair Solveig Spjeldnes, 1st Ward. It also is highly congested during peak afternoon hours when Ohio University is in session.
“It is a chokepoint — being the only entrance to the central part of the city from the west, without a several-mile detour,” she said, adding that the project goal is to relieve congestion and improve safety.
The project will replace the traffic signal with a roundabout, improve drainage and sidewalks, and include utility and lighting work. Construction is expected to start this summer, with bids to be awarded by June 30, and last through summer 2026.
She noted that although the construction involves a “tight window,” the transportation committee has emphasized that traffic needs to be open — from all four directions — during construction. A temporary signal will be used and traffic shifted around so that the roundabout can be constructed in quadrants.
The city’s service-safety department has assured that the intersection will not be blocked during construction, Spjeldnes said.
“We’ll always be able to get through there, and that is part of the bidding,” she said.
Funding comes from $2.39 million from the Ohio Department of Transportation, $400,000 from the Ohio Public Works Commission, and $1.83 million from the city. The first ordinance reading for the project will likely come this month. Including a 10% contingency, the project totals $4.6 million.
Council member Alan Swank, 4th Ward, said the city should discuss traffic flow with the Athens City School District, especially because of bus traffic to and from Morrison-Gordon Elementary School.
Uptown beautification project
The city will undertake a $6.5 million streetscape beautification project on the north end of Uptown over the next 18 to 20 months, Spjeldnes said. The project will bury overhead electric and telecommunications lines on parts of West State Street, Mill Street and West Carpenter Street as well as improve sidewalks and install streetscape features.
The funding comes from the Appalachian Community Grant Program and is being administered by Ross County, Spjeldnes said. Ross County has paid for the initial engineering work; a forthcoming ordinance will allow the city to repay Ross County.
“For future construction the city will bid the project and Ross County will advance the funds as we conduct construction,” she explained.
A contractor will prepare an underground conduit for utility lines and install transformers at ground level.
“Once the new lines are active and energized, adjacent property owners will hire their own electrician to connect to the new facilities,” Spjeldnes said. The city will reimburse those costs, she said.
Once all the properties have been connected, the old utilities and poles will be removed and the sidewalks repaired, she said.
The grant will also fund utility improvements for Mount Zion Baptist Church Preservation Society, the Southeast Ohio History Center and the Athens Armory.
Street closures for summer, fall fairs and festivals
Spjeldnes also introduced resolutions for temporary closure of Uptown streets for summer fairs and festivals, along with related resolutions allowing peddling and suspension of noise tolerance rules during the events. Spjeldnes noted that more events may be added over the next several weeks.
Some of the events and related street closures include:
- The Plains Lions Club cruise-ins on June 6, Aug. 1 and Aug. 29 (all Fridays); closing Court Street from Washington Street to West State Street.
- Ohio Brew Week First Call on Friday, July 11, closing Court Street from Washington Street to West State Street.
- Ohio Brew Week Last Call on Saturday, July 19, closing Court Street from Carpenter Street to Washington Street.
- Athens Community Arts & Music Festival on Saturday, Aug. 2., closing West Union Street from Court Street to Congress Street.
- Bounty on the Bricks on Saturday, Aug. 9, closing Court Street from Union Street to Washington Street.
- Ohio Brew Week Fall Fest on Saturday, Sept. 6, closing West Union Street from Congress Street to Court Street.
- Athens Halloween Block Party on Thursday, Oct. 25, closing the entire Uptown area.
Swank noted that Saturday, Sept. 6 is also the date for a football game between West Virginia University and Ohio University at Peden Stadium. Legions of West Virginia fans expected to make the trip, and Swank said he is concerned that service-safety workers may be spread too thin.
“I’m pretty sure that’s going to be the biggest football crowd this town has had in 40 years,” he said, adding that West Virginia fans are already buying OU season ticket packages — just so they can attend this game.
Council member Beth Clodfelter, At-Large, said organizers of some events may be pleased to have large crowds in town, so that visitors would attend their event for a while. But she said she is concerned about the traffic impact on the city.
In other items during the council’s committees meetings Monday:
- The council received no public comments on a R-1 (single family residential) zoning designation for 35 acres the city is annexing east of Cable Lane. The council has already heard initial readings of ordinances to annex the property and obtain a right-of-way easement. Frander Properties was represented at the hearing by local attorney David Mott, who said Frander Properties is in favor of the zoning designation.
- There was discussion of proposed free days for city parking garage parking in December to encourage holiday shopping. The free garage parking days — some of which are all day and some starting after 4 p.m. — are on December 5, 6, 11, 18, 20, and 24.
Athens City Council’s next regular meeting will be at 7 p.m. Monday, March 17, in Athens City Hall, Council Chambers, third floor, 8 E. Washington St. Meetings are also available online. Regular sessions are on the first and third Mondays of the month; committee meetings are on the second and fourth Mondays.
