The construction will be broken into two projects. The first will focus on repaving West Stroop Road from South Dixie to Shroyer Road, which is about 2½ miles. That work is expected to cost nearly $1.2 million.
The second repaving project, which is on East Stroop Road, is about 3½ miles. It will stretch from Shroyer Road to East Dorothy Lane. City officials anticipate it will cost $3 million. However, the city will get federal funding through a grant from the Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission of up to nearly $2.2 million.
The East Stroop project includes a proposed multi-use sidewalk and bike path along East Stroop Road from Wilmington Pike to Glengarry Drive. The path will provide users access to The Greene, Kettering Middle School, Indian Riffle Elementary School and the Kettering Recreation Complex. It will intersect with the end of the Iron Horse Bike Trail at the corner of Wilmington Pike and Stroop Road.
Work on the two sections of Stroop is expected to overlap at some point, according to city officials.
“Construction will start on West Stroop since we’re bidding that earlier. It’ll probably start sometime in April or May. The East Stroop project probably will start sometime in May or June depending on weather and when we can get contracts signed,” said assistant city manager Steven Bergstresser.
The city council has authorized the city manager to start seeking bids for the West Stroop phase of the project.
“We had a very good fund balance at the end of 2014 and we want to utilize it now to get a jump start on projects for 2016,” Bergstresser told city council last week.
The work could go through the 2016 construction season, according to Bergstresser.
“But realistically, they should be wrapped up, you know sometime towards the end of summer, early fall. But again, it depends on the bidding,” said Bergstresser.
Business owners along Stroop differed on how the construction might affect them.
Joe Smith’s business, Smith and Son’s Automotive, only has one entrance which is located on West Stroop Road just before the intersection at South Dixie. Even just a couple days of construction could significantly impact his business, Smith said.
“I get eight to ten customers a day and a five-day work week. Two days pays the rent. One day could,” Smith said.
But down the road, Far Hills BP operator Al Ruch said he doesn’t think the construction will hurt his business.
“I’ve got both north and southbound Far Hills Road to draw from. Plus, they can’t keep both eastbound lanes of Stroop closed so I’ll still have access to that,” Ruch said.
The CEO of Ruch’s neighbor, Marion’s Piazza, said the construction may affect his business “a little bit,” but is grateful there are other ways to get to his restaurant.
“Whenever they do construction like that it’s disruptive. But with the two entrances on Shroyer and Far Hills, we’ll be OK,” said Roger Glass, Marion’s CEO.
The area near Marion’s Piazza, which includes Town & Country Shopping Center, has seen three enhancement projects including new sidewalks and street lighting since 2011. The final phase was completed in 2014. The total cost of the projects was nearly $2 million, but the city got Federal Transportation Enhancement Grants provided by the Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission totaling $879,000.
The city also did two emergency resurfacing projects on East Stroop in 2014 due to the harsh winter in 2013-2014. Those two projects cost $365,000.
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