Plans are moving forward that will see North Road extended north from Shanahan Road to Peachblow Road. The Delaware County Transportation Improvement District (TID) approved the project agreement with the Delaware County Board of Commissioners, as well as the plans, specifications, estimates, and advertising for bids during its meeting on Wednesday.
Work on the road extension, which will span approximately 0.5 miles, is scheduled to begin in late September and will be completed by Aug. 1, 2021. In addition to the work on North Road, a roundabout is scheduled to be constructed at the intersection of North and Peachblow roads. Construction of the roundabout is scheduled to begin next June and will require Peachblow Road to be closed for 45 days.
In June, following the passing of its levy, the Olentangy Local School District (OLSD) announced plans to construct a new elementary school on a donated parcel of land south of Peachblow Road, between Glenn Parkway and Piatt Road. The parcel shows a North Road address, and earlier OLSD documents for the school revealed the intentions for the school to be accessed by the eventual North Road extension. On Wednesday, Delaware County Chief Deputy Engineer Rob Riley said the county had been preparing for the extension well before the OLSD levy was approved by voters.
“We’ve been working on this project for about a year and a half now,” Riley said during Wednesday’s meeting. “We knew about this project well in advance of (the passing of OLSD’s bond levy).”
The road extension will also service Berlin Meadows, the 182-acre subdivision that was approved by Berlin Township in May and includes the new elementary school.
According to the Delaware County 2020 Road Construction Guide, the North Road extension will cost an estimated $2.2 million. Per an agreement with Metro Development, which was part of the group that donated the land to OLSD, Riley said Metro will pay for a third of the entire project. He added the county is working with Evans Farm on a similar agreement that would see the land development company pay a third of the cost as well.
Riley announced the TID had received a $250,000 grant from the Ohio Department of Transportation through its TID program that will be used to help fund the project.
