U.S. Route 35: A divided highway — who will pay?

Local officials discuss superstreet funding

WHAT: Funding for U.S. 35 superstreet project

WHO: Greene County Board of Commissioners, Beavercreek City Council and Beavercreek Twp. Board of Trustees joint work session

WHEN: 5 p.m. - 7 p.m., Tues., Sept. 20

WHERE: Beavercreek city hall, council chambers, 1368 Research Park Drive, Beavercreek

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We have covered proposals funding for U.S. Route 35 since the 1980s – a time when the Ohio Department of Transportation unveiled updated plans for the construction of a interchange at North Fairfield, Factory and Valley roads.

A $15.8 million highway redesign plan for U.S. Route 35 in Greene County could move to the construction phase in the coming months, however local government officials must decided how they are going to fund the required $1.5 million local match.

The U.S. 35 superstreet project received the highest ranking statewide this year, according to preliminary results, among transportation projects submitted to an Ohio Department of Transportation advisory committee, according to Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission.

“The superstreet project is very important to this community because its been so long coming,” said Greene County Commissioner Bob Glaser. “It’s been many many years.

Greene County Board of Commissioners, Beavercreek City Council and Beavercreek Twp. Board of Trustees will meet Tuesday Sept. 20 to discuss how much of the local match each jurisdiction will pay.

>>RELATED: U.S. ROUTE 35 PHOTO GALLERY

Superstreets restrict traffic on secondary roads from making a left turn to access the main highway. Drivers have to make a right turn, then a u-turn. Superstreets speed up traffic and reduce travel time through intersections and side streets, according to transportation experts.

The superstreet project is a temporary solution to alleviating congestion on Route 35. Initial plans for the Route 35 project near Orchard Lane called for the removal of traffic lights and intersections and installation of u-turn ramps to allow traffic moving in one direction to turn around and travel in the opposite direction using an under or overpass.

Crashes on the Route 35 corridor in the Factory Road and Orchard Lane areas have increased 19 percent over a five-year period starting in 2011, according ODOT data. There were 57 crashes reported in 2011 compared to 68 in 2015.

Greene County commissioners suggested evenly dividing the local match three ways between the city of Beavercreek city, Beavercreek Twp. and the county. Commissioners are willing to pay the local share up front. The city and township would have to reimburse the county over a 10-year period.

“In essence, by providing interest free funds, we are providing an additional amount of support,” Glaser said.

>>RELATED: U.S. ROUTE 35 VIDEO

Some Beavercreek City Council members are concerned about evenly dividing the local match among the three jurisdictions. The city has already committed about $900,000 of a $2.5 million construction project that will eliminate the existing Route 35 intersection at Shakertown Road. The project will also extend Shakertown Road to the east to meet Factory Road, and correct an offset intersection at Factory Road and Alpha-Bellbrook Road/Yellow Brick Road. The improvements are expected to increase traffic flow.

“Therein lies the question of an equitable split,” said Beavercreek Mayor Bob Stone.

Construction on the Shakertown Road project is projected to start during the 2019/2020 construction season.

The city of Beavercreek would use revenues from its 2-mill street levy to cover its share of the local match, according to Mike Thonnerieux, the Public Administrative Services Director.

“It generates approximately $2.6 million,” he said. “We use about $1 million of that for resurfacing. We doubled our refacing program. We use $300,000 to $400,000 for our curb replacement program. The rest we use for matches for construction projects.”

If the city is forced pay one-third of the local match, the decision will impact other planned road projects.

“It would force us to delay or move other projects around,” Thonnerieux said.

>>RELATED: 2011-2015 FATAL CRASHES IN THE REGION

Beavercreek Twp. is discussing allocating a portion of license plate tax revenues toward the project for a specific period of time, said Beavercreek Twp. Trustee Tom Kretz.

“This allocation could be as high as $ 25,000 to $30,000 annually for a specific period of time to be determined by the trustees,” he said.

Township trustees are also looking to the county to pay a larger portion of the local match for the superstreet project.

“Given that the bulk of carry-over and surplus funds sitting in the county treasurer’s coffers came from sales tax generated by the Fairfield Commons Mall, The Greene and the car dealers along U.S. 35 between Factory Road and Orchard Lane, the sentiment from the township and city is that ” we already gave at the office ” and that while both the township and city will participate to the limits established by their budget constraints, as for myself, I believe it behooves the commissioners to fund the majority of the local match from funds already collected from the residents and businesses in Beavercreek Township and the city of Beavercreek,” Kretz said.