After years of discussion, the dangerous s-curve on Seldom Seen Road in Liberty Township is finally getting fixed. During its Aug. 1 meeting, the Liberty Township Board of Trustees voted to approve authorization of a contract with Double Z Construction for the project that will straighten the curve.
The project will include approximately 1,100 feet of roadway that stretches between state Route 257 and Sawmill Parkway. Construction is expected to begin on Monday, Aug. 22, and be completed by the end of September.
Having served the township for nearly a decade, Trustee Shyra Eichhorn has been involved in many of the discussions through the years about the best solution to alleviate the safety concerns presented by the curve. In a release announcing the project, Eichhorn expressed hope it will reduce the number of accidents seen on the road, which she said often involves young motorists.
“There was a high percentage of wrecks on that stretch of road and many involved were teenage drivers,” she said. “The Liberty Township Board of Trustees were on a mission to straighten the curve to prevent a tragedy. I want to specifically thank Doug Riedel from the county engineer’s office for his work and support to make this road improvement a reality.”
The total cost of the project will be $698,110, the heavy majority of which will be paid for with a grant received from the Ohio Public Works Commission. The remaining cost will be covered with funds from both Delaware County and Liberty Township.
Bidding for the project opened in July, with Double Z submitting the lowest bid. Riedel, the senior project engineer for the Delaware County Engineer’s Office, said the county has worked with Double Z previously, including on recent fixes to West Orange Road. Riedel said the bid came in approximately $108,000 below the estimate for the project, which he was “thrilled” to see given the concerns with rising asphalt costs.
“We’re excited to get this started,” Riedel said during the meeting, adding that the hope is for the project to be completed “long before” the targeted completion date as long as the weather cooperates.
Riedel acknowledged the potential inconvenience of the roadwork as students return to school but said it was unavoidable.
“I realize school starts the next week, but the timing of this grant doesn’t really help us work things out to avoid having some issues,” he stated.
Reach Dillon Davis at 740-413-0904. Follow him on Twitter @DillonDavis56.
