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The city of Fairborn plans to invest more than $1 million into widening Dayton Drive — a project that will increase safety and lead to a more efficient traffic flow along that stretch of road.
The project is scheduled for the 2017 construction season, and the total cost of the project is estimated to be a little more than $1.32 million to upgrade one-third of a mile of Dayton Drive, from Maple Avenue to Xenia Drive.
Fairborn City Council approved earlier this month a resolution to submit a final application and enter into an agreement to accept a $400,000 grant from the Ohio Public Works Commission, if awarded.
City Engineer Don O’Connor said the city received preliminary approval to receive the funding. Fairborn should be officially notified by the end of the year, he said.
The city also received $504,572 in grant funding from the Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission. The remaining balance will come from the city’s street levy fund, O’Connor said.
“This will be a great enhancement to that patch of road,” Councilwoman Marilyn McCauley said. “I’d like to see it happen.”
Improvements to Dayton Drive include: widening it from two lanes to three lanes, adding a center turn lane; fully reconstructing the road pavement; replacing all curbs; storm sewer improvements; and realigning the Dayton/Maple intersection.
The average daily traffic count for that stretch of Dayton Drive is 7,100.
“It will allow cars making left-hand turns to get out of the through lane,” O’Connor said. “It will increase safety and produce a more efficient traffic flow.”
O’Connor said the goal is to maintain traffic in both directions during the project, but the city may not be able to because of width restrictions. A detour may need to be established, he said.
“We’re still working that out,” O’Connor said. “We’re not sure what the final impacts will be just yet.”
Also, the Dayton Drive construction project will have a minimal impact on the new bikeway connector, O’Connor said. Any modifications to the bike path will occur at the Dayton/Maple intersection.
Construction of the $1 million bikeway connector is expected to be completed next month, O'Connor said.
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