The roundabout, located at the intersection of Selma Pike and East Possum Road, will include one lane. The roundabout’s design is inclusive to large vehicles, such as farm equipment, that may need to move through the area, according to the Clark County Engineer’s Office.
The engineer’s office and the school district have partnered in the project to make sure construction is underway when children are primarily not in the area and when farm equipment will not be harvesting crops, the engineer’s office previously said.
Students in Clark-Shawnee schools are expected to return to their buildings on Sept. 1, according to the school district.
The project is aimed at improving safety in the area by reducing the number of “conflict points” — where paths of different movement cross — in the area. Thus, the fewer points of conflict, the fewer opportunities for cars to come in contact with one another while traveling.
The commissioners voted in favor of proceeding with the roundabout in February of 2019 in response to the construction of the new Shawnee Elementary School.
Commissioners then said the improvement was needed in anticipation of the intersection becoming increasingly busy due to the ongoing construction project and traffic from Shawnee High School.
The total cost of the project was originally estimated to be $1.4 million, but the supply shortage and rise of cost of materials may impact the overall cost of the project, County Engineer John Burr said during his annual update to the Clark County commission on Wednesday morning.
More than $1 million of the project will be covered through federal funding with the Ohio Department of Transportation.
About the Author
