The route will cost several million dollars to overhaul. It has a 45-mile-per-hour speed limit, lacks adequate pedestrian paths and an area near Wright-Patt includes a curve where vehicle accidents happen too frequently, according to Riverside records.
Credit: STAFF
Credit: STAFF
All three issues were raised by Riverside Mayor Pete Williams in talking about a Woodman Corridor task force established last month to make recommendations for safety upgrades.
“We want hear what the issues are that these folks have on the front of their mind when it comes to that very important corridor,” Williams said.
The process to revamp the entire corridor will likely take more than a decade, but may address issues that will impact generations, City Manager Josh Rauch said.
“For us it is an opportunity to really reshape what that corridor looks like for the next 30 or 40 years,” Rauch said. “So, we’re really going to take our time and make it a design that advances the community.”
The Woodman/U.S. 35 interchange is now being restructured in a $10.3 million Ohio Department of Transportation project expected to last until this fall.
Tens of thousands of vehicles travel daily through the interchange, located between Beavercreek and Dayton, and Kettering and Wright-Patterson, according to the Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission.
The interchange ramp from Woodman to U.S. 35 westbound is still closed, according to ODOT Spokeswoman Mandi Dillon.
It is tentatively set to open in mid-April, but could have a brief closure this summer while crews finalize the intersection, she added.
“We want to remind motorists to slow down and stay alert as they enter and drive through a work zone,” Dillon told the Dayton Daily News. “Traffic patterns are often in different configurations and other drivers may make sudden stops as they navigate the construction zone.”
For the Woodman corridor, Riverside will schedule public forums for residents can “give input on their experiences” along that stretch, Rauch said.
Feedback will likely include “what works well for them? Where they have difficulties getting around? What kind of amenities would they like to see?” such as crosswalks and walking paths, he added.
Comments will also be sought corridor property owners and stakeholders, such as the Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority, he added.
Riverside last year received an a $500,000 ODOT grant for the Woodman corridor work. The city has invested about $6.8 million in the corridor, Riverside documents show.
The first phase would include Woodman from U.S. 35 to Eastman Avenue, work for which the city has a design and hopes to complete the project in 2026, Rauch said.
This project will add sidewalks on the east side and a bike path on the west side of Woodman, according to the city. In addition, curb, gutter and new storm sewer will be installed, officials said.
About the Author
