Far Hills work to slow traffic in Oakwood with lane closures on Ohio 48 for weeks

Starting Monday, outside curb lanes will close near Oakwood Junior High/High School for a few weeks, the initial phase in replacing the sewer system, much of which installed before the 1950s, project engineer Chris Kuzma said.

Drivers should “try to take it slow. Pay attention to the signage,” Kuzma said. “It’s probably going to a constant change in traffic flow and traffic patterns.”

While the 35 mph speed limit will remain, motorists should factor in five to 10 extra minutes if they travel the state route between Dayton and Kettering, he said.

Those closures are expected to continue for a few weeks, Kuzma said. The second part of the project will involve redirecting northbound traffic into southbound lanes of the boulevard and vice versa as the work progresses, Kuzma said.

The targeted time frame for the Far Hills lane closures is about two months, he said. The project is anticipated to be completed late this year, according to the city.

The work had to be done this year as Ohio 48 in Oakwood is set to be resurfaced in 2024, Kuzma said.

The project will involve replacing about 3,050 feet of pipe on several Oakwood roads, including the state route, officials said.

Also starting Monday, the 100 block of Dellwood Avenue will be closed to through traffic while the new storm sewer is installed there, Kuzma said.

Work will take place on Far Hills at Greenmount Boulevard; on Dellwood from Far Hills to East Schantz Avenue; on Forrer Boulevard from Far Hills to East Schantz; and along a section of Devereux Drive north of Forrer Road, according to the city.

The demolition of the house is necessary because it was built over a “large, three-foot by three-foot box sewer” estimated to be about 70 years old and deteriorating, Oakwood City Manager Norbert Klopsch said.

“There’s no way to complete (the project) without tearing down the home,” Klopsch said.

The property will serve as a primary staging area for the contractor for several months until the project is completed, he added.

The new sewer will be installed south of the property so it can be repurposed, Klopsch said. But the city does not yet have plans as to how the land will be used.