Widening of Farview Road to start in May for new middle school
Construction is scheduled to begin in late May on Farview Road in Columbus to prevent traffic congestion at the new Minerva Park Middle School that’s being built across from Hawthorne Elementary School, 5001 Farview Road.
Scott Dorne, Westerville City Schools assistant superintendent of operations, said construction is expected to start May 26 and be substantially completed by Aug. 1 to widen Farview Road. He said work would include adding a third lane to be used as a two-way left-turn lane for northbound traffic entering Hawthorne and for southbound traffic entering Minerva Park Middle School.
In addition, he said, Hawthorne’s entry drive would be shifted south to align with the middle school’s northern entry/exit drive.
The Westerville Board of Education on March 23 approved a contract with Decker Construction for $540,756 to perform the work.
Funds for the roadwork is being financed through the 1.95-mill bond issue that was approved by voters Nov. 5, 2019, along with a 5.9-mill operating levy, said Greg Viebranz, executive director of communications and family engagement.
The bond issue also is providing funds for the new middle school, elementary school, safety and security updates districtwide, renovations and additions at Annehurst and Whittier elementary schools, renovations at Hawthorne and facilities-assessment needs at Hanby, Emerson and Longfellow elementary schools.
In February 2021, Dorne said, the Minerva Park Planning Commission approved the site-plan design for the middle school.
He said the approval was based on the district’s future development of a traffic study to determine the effect on Farview Road generated by the new middle school and to implement the recommended improvements.
“Anticipated traffic volumes for the new (Minerva France) elementary school and the new M/I subdivision were included in a traffic study analysis performed by M/I Homes in 2015,” Dorne said. “The recommended improvements resulting from the study were construction in 2017.”
In March 2021, Osborn Engineering developed a traffic study to fulfill the requirements of Minerva Park, the Ohio Department of Transportation and the city of Columbus, he said.
For Osborn’s study, Dorne said, the anticipated middle school traffic resulted in the need to widen Farview Road, adding a third lane to be used as a two-way left-turn lane for northbound traffic entering Hawthorne and for southbound traffic entering the middle school.
Board member Jennifer Aultman asked if traffic would be maintained during the widening and if Farview would stay open during construction.
“I would imagine there will be some temporary closures as they do work,” Dorne said. “Specifically, when you add a third lane, you’re often able to continue with some traffic. But I think there will be time periods where Minerva Lake Road will have to be accessed or Ponderosa. Also, knowing that we’re moving the entrance to Hawthorne, we won’t be able to reroute necessarily through that parking lot in that direction.”
The new middle school is scheduled to open in August 2023, and the elementary will open this August.
@ThisWeekMarla
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