A new park and a trail connector are among the projects in the works in Orange Township.
On July 1, Orange Township Trustee Debbie Taranto posted on Facebook, “We will be going out to bid for contractors to build North Road Park hopefully before fall. This park will include soccer, a basketball court, a small dog park and new to Orange Township, Pickleball courts! It will have walking trails around the park. This park has an orchard theme, and the main shelter is very unique and will be a highlight to the park. I will share pictures when I receive them. I anticipate construction to start this year and be completed next year.”
She also posted the same day, “We went out to bid Monday for Lewis Center trail phase 2 (of which we received a $498,000 grant to build) from Bale Kenyon/Lewis Center Road to Lewis Center/Waukeegan intersection. This will create connections to neighborhoods along Lewis Center Road and Alum Creek Dam as well as Bale Kenyon. We hope to begin this project this year.”
On May 20, the township issued a notice about the temporary closure of a multi-use trail.
“Due to a Del-Co Water project, a section of the walking/bikeTrail that runs parallel to the railroad tracks, between Lewis Center Road and East Orange Road, will be temporarily closed,” the notice said. “The trail will be closed just north and south of the Del Co. Water reservoirs. Trail users will not be able to use the trail along side of the reservoirs.”
Taranto also said there was a recent Parks Virtual Open House on the township’s YouTube channel. There was also an Orange Township Park Survey on SurveyMonkey.com.
In other Orange Township news, a new roundabout at Green Meadows and Highfield drives opened June 12. The Delaware County Engineer’s Office closed the intersection between Old Green Meadows Drive and Cranes Xing from April 20 into June for construction.
A press release stated the county engineer also closed Shanahan Road between U.S. Route 23 and Mercier Street for intersection reconstruction from June 8 to July 10.
In addition, the Ohio Department of Transportation’s list of Delaware County projects for 2020 has three along Interstate 71 going through Orange Township. One was installing fiber optic cable along I-71 from I-270 to north of US 36/SR 37 “to communicate with various Intelligent Transportation System devices.” The $1.8 million project was said to have begun last July and was completed last month.
The other two projects began last April and are expected to be completed in October. Spot paving, a $1.8 million project, will resurface various locations between the Franklin/Delaware County Line and Lewis Center Road, as well as on I-270 at I-71 on the north side of Columbus.
Lastly is widening ramps between Polaris and Gemini roads, and constructing an “opening in the barrier wall for Gemini traffic to merge onto I-71 south sooner,” ODOT said.
For more information, visit www.orangetwp.org.
