It’s not known at this point how the project targeted to start in late spring/early summer and last until late into the year or early 2024 will impact area traffic, Oakwood City Manager Norbert Klopsch said.
“The city is working with our engineering consultant to develop a maintenance of traffic plan for the project, specifically along SR 48,” Klopsch said in an email.
“The impact and duration of lane closures is uncertain at this time due to many factors; more information regarding construction sequence and traffic impacts will be available after bidding the project and holding preconstruction meetings with the awarded contractor,” he added.
The work will involve one block on Far Hills from Dellwood Avenue to Greenmount Boulevard, plus one block areas on Dellwood and Forrer Boulevard ending at the state route, Klopsch said.
The project, expected to be bid in early 2023, will also impact Devereux Drive from Forrer to just north of Ashridge Road, he added.
The sewer work is expected to consume about 83% of Oakwood’s capital improvement expenditures in the $17.18 million budget approved earlier this month, city Finance Director Cindy Stafford said.
The 2023 budget includes a $14.8 million general fund including transfers for streets, leisure services and capital projects, Stafford said. About $6.5 million of the general fund is earmarked for public safety, some $600,000 more than this year, city records show.
Oakwood’s spending for 2023 also includes 2.95% increases for the 62 full-time and 15 part-time city jobs not in the public works union, Stafford said. A contract for public works has not yet been agreed on, she said.
Oakwood is projecting about $10.72 million in income tax and $2.82 million in property tax revenues in 2023, about $1 million and $450,000 more, respectively, than this year, records show.
But “this was a tough budgeting year” due to economic and inflationary uncertainties, Stafford said.
Department heads “really tried to get some preliminary quotes to look at where material costs have gone,” especially involving vehicle or equipment purchases, she said.
“So, they tried to build that into the numbers in anticipation,” Stafford added. “The hope is inflation will come down a little bit … If it doesn’t, then we’ll look at some additional supplemental appropriations if we have to.”
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