The city of Fairborn wants to repair a 1.1 mile stretch of Colonel Glenn Highway that runs in front of the Nutter Center and Wright State University.

To help with the anticipated costs of $1.47 million, the city has applied for a $400,000 grant from the Ohio Public Works Commission.

If awarded, the city would pay for the remaining $1.07 million out of the street levy fund and county motor vehicle license tax, according to city engineer Jim Sawyer.

The stretch of Colonel Glenn in question is the most traveled thoroughfare in Fairborn, with an average daily traffic count of 22,000 vehicles.

“That road is the gateway to Wright State and to the commerce on the south side of the road, including the mall. Base people use it a lot, too,” Sawyer said. “We want to make sure it’s in the best condition.”

The final piece of the grant application was submitted on Wednesday, which was a resolution that City Council passed indicating the city would comply with OPWC regulations if it receives the grant money.

Sawyer said the city’s initial grant application resulted in a score of 94 (out of 100), which was the highest in Greene County. If the city doesn’t receive the grant, Sawyer said city staff would have to reevaluate the funding for the project.

“Usually, anybody who scores over an 80 gets some funding,” Sawyer said. “With a score of 94, I feel extremely confident that we’re going to receive this grant for this project.”

The city expects to be notified later this year or early 2013. Grant money would be available July 1, 2013, and the project would start a month later — when Wright State begins its fall semester.

The road improvements are projected to take four-to-six months to complete. Sawyer said the city will work with the university during the design phase as well as throughout the construction phase.

“I want to caution you, the traffic in and out of Wright State the beginning of a semester is phenomenal,” Councilman Dan Kirkpatrick said to Sawyer. “It’s a zoo on Colonel Glenn early in the morning and late in the afternoon.”

The last resurfacing work on Colonel Glenn was in 2000.

Improvements proposed in the $1.47 million project include repairing the deteriorated concrete joints and slabs, resurfacing the road, sidewalk installation and repairing deteriorated ADA curb ramps.

Dan Papay, WSU’s engineer, said the school most likely will reroute students and faculty to the Kauffman Avenue entrance in the back of campus, reducing traffic on Colonel Glenn. When complete, he believes the project will improve safety for the students who use the crosswalks and sidewalks in that area.

WSU has 18,000-plus students.

“In general, I think it’s a good thing because the work needs to be done,” Papay said. “There’s really no good time to do a disruptive project. My understanding is that traffic will be maintained. It will be an inconvenience of course, but it’s one of those things we’ll deal with. We’re supportive of the city’s efforts.”

The street levy fund generates roughly $1.5 million per year, allowing the city to improve about 30 to 40 streets annually. Next year, though, that number drops to 16 because of this project.

The street levy fund expires at the end of 2014 and the city will likely place a renewal on the ballot in 2014.

“The streets that we removed (off the list for 2013) are streets that we felt are in good enough condition to put off until 2014,” Sawyer said. “Colonel Glenn has taken a priority. I don’t want people to compare Colonel Glenn to Maple, because they’re not the same. The traffic loads on our local streets pales in comparison to the load on Colonel Glenn.”