The planned $18.7 million project will involve the reconstruction and widening of sections of Northwoods Boulevard, North Dixie Drive and Lightner Road, ultimately providing trucks with an alternate route into the warehouse area northeast of the Dayton airport, lessening the traffic issues within the center of Vandalia, Montgomery County Engineer Paul Gruner has said.
According to Gruner, the project was awarded federal funding via the Ohio Department of Transportation’s (ODOT) Review Advisory Committee, allocating federal dollars to cover 80%, or up to $1.6 million, of the project’s engineering costs. Vandalia will be responsible for around $97,000 of these costs, and Montgomery County will be responsible for around $227,000.
The newly-awarded $1.33 million in federal community project funding was announced last week by Rep. Mike Turner, who Vandalia Mayor Richard Herbst said has been instrumental in supporting the city’s efforts to minimize large truck traffic in the Central Business District. Additional grant funding will be applied for at each stage of the project, Gruner said.
“I think what’s most important about (this) is it’s money that the city and its taxpayers are not going to have to pay,” Herbst said during the July 18 city council meeting. “If we didn’t get an earmark like this, it would be on our backs to pay for it, so I appreciate Mr. Wendt and his staff for being very proactive and going after this because it will greatly improve the traffic situation in our area.”
The engineering process of the project will continue through 2023, Gruner said, with services to be provided by Carpenter Marty Transportation.
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