FAIRBORN — The City of Fairborn has several major construction projects going on around the city this year.
As sections of Maple and Kauffman avenues are torn up to conduct deep-level repairs and maintenance, many residents are left with one question: When is this all going to be over with?
Unfortunately, for a lot of these projects, it’s going to be at least another few months, but the good news is that once it is completed, Fairborn is one step closer to the quality of life improvement and potential economic development these changes will bring.
Many of these improvements involve building sidewalks or constructing bike paths along existing roads. This model aligns with the Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission’s Complete Streets Policy, which encourages city improvements that promote safety, regardless of chosen mode of transportation. This includes pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists of all kinds.
City Engineer Lee Harris said it’s important for Fairborn residents to feel safe using these modes of transportation anywhere in the city.
“We want to encourage the community to feel safe biking along our corridors. Main corridors are the backbone of the city,” he said. “We’re also completing sidewalks where we don’t have any.”
A project on Colonel Glenn Highway next year would do just that. Putting in a sidewalk would allow Wright State students and other pedestrians who use RTA services to walk to Fairborn businesses.
As for the current construction projects around the city, the following briefly outlines where they are in the process:
Broad Street Phase 1 (Sandhill Road to north corporation limit) – This project is almost at completion. The only remaining tasks include laying topsoil and seed for the landscaping surrounding the road.
Maple Avenue Phase 1 (Doris Drive to Dayton Drive) – The work being conducted on Maple Avenue includes full-depth pavement repairs, asphalt resurfacing, and a shared-use path for bicycle and pedestrian traffic. The under-utilized on-street parking on the south end of the project will be removed to create a consistent three-lane road section, and new crosswalks will be installed with rectangular rapid flashing beacons (RRFB). These enhanced pedestrian crossing signs are deemed safer, and would be similar to those already in place in Xenia and other cities. A spokesperson for the city estimated this project will be completed in October.
Central Avenue (Lindberg Drive to Dayton Drive) – This project is being managed by the Ohio Department of Transportation. Improvements include full-depth pavement reconstruction, curb replacement, and minor drainage improvements. According to a city spokesperson, the project is a month ahead of schedule, and should be completed sometime in September.
Dayton Yellow Springs Road (Gateway Drive to Commerce Center Boulevard) – The Greene County Engineer’s Office is in charge of this project, which includes rehabilitation of the concrete bridge deck and the asphalt roadway surface near Fairborn High School. The project also includes removal and repair of concrete medians and new pavement markings on Dayton Yellow Springs Road. This project is estimated to be done by the end of the month.
Yellow Springs Fairfield Road (Spangler Road to Warm Springs Drive) – This project will bring significant improvements to the area, including pavement widening, asphalt resurfacing, a new curb and gutter, storm water improvements, a new sidewalk, a new multi-use path, and RRFB pedestrian crossing facilities at Roehner Drive, Astoria Boulevard, Black Lane and Warm Springs Drive.
Construction on the south side of the road began the first week of August. Phase 1 is expected to take four months, bringing the completion date to sometime in November or December.
