GAMBIER — Approximately 30 Gambier residents gathered Monday at the village’s community center to ask questions about the Ohio 308/229 roundabout.
Construction on the roundabout is expected to begin on May 28. It will close off Ohio 308/229 for motorists wanting to enter Gambier through 229 to 308.
Work on the Ohio Department of Transportation project is expected to last until November, village administrator R.C. Wise said.
The roundabout will also have a shared-use path, connecting Ohio 308 to Laymon Road.
Who is funding the roundabout?
ODOT’s Highway Safety Improvement Program (HISP) is funding the project. The primary objective, according to ODOT, is to reduce fatal and injury crashes.
“After multiple coordination meetings with local agencies, a roundabout was chosen as a preferred countermeasure after a trial of various low-cost countermeasures,” Gambier mayor Leeman Kessler said. “A funding request for a roundabout was considered and approved by the HSIP committee.”
Motorists won’t have access to Laymon Road during construction.
According to ODOT, the project’s earthwork limits may impact the Kokosing River’s northeastern bank. However, measures will be taken during project development and construction to mitigate environmental impacts on the river.
In addition to village councilmembers and Kessler, Mount Vernon City Schools supt. Bill Seder offered input on the school’s perspective of the roundabout.
Seder said the district doesn’t have concerns about the roundabout and construction, noting “safety is always important to us” and the roundabout addresses safety concerns.
Seder said the roundabout’s construction will impact one bus, with the district’s last school day set for May 31.
How tall is the retaining wall?
ODOT will place a retaining wall along the roadway to protect motorists from potential falling debris. Several villagers asked about the size of the wall and how close it would be to the road.
At its closest point, the retaining wall will be roughly six feet from the road, said Ian Smith, Vice President for Facilities, Planning and Sustainability for Kenyon College.
The wall is roughly 200 feet long and 17 feet at its peak.
The retaining wall will be the village’s responsibility to maintain once complete, Wise said. He also noted that council members may want to add native vegetation to the space.
Villagers also asked if a natural retaining wall was a possibility, rather than a man-made one.
ODOT conducted a geological study and found the soil wasn’t supportive enough for a natural retaining wall, Wise said.
Will semi-trucks be able to use the roundabout?
One question sent via email was how large vehicles would be able to maneuver through the roundabout.
ODOT designed the truck aprons (the area between the central island and travel way), as well as the northeast and southwest corners, to allow larger vehicles to use this space.
The apron is navigable by larger vehicles but not intended for passenger vehicles. The outer truck aprons are designed to deter passenger vehicles but allow larger vehicles like farm machinery to traverse through the intersection, according to ODOT.
Kessler said the rolled curbing along the outside would allow large vehicles to use the roundabout.
How will traffic be rerouted?
During construction, project staff will monitor the maintenance of traffic as it relates to the affected area and adjust when needed.
The official detour from the village will be Ohio 308 to U.S. 36, Kessler said, and ODOT currently doesn’t have any plans to place a traffic signal at the intersection of U.S. 36 and Ohio 308.
What route should motorists use when traveling east on Ohio 229 and turning on Eastern Star Road, a villager asked, concerned about speeding on New Gambier Road.
“Neither the village nor ODOT is advising anyone to use Eastern Star to New Gambier Road as the detour during the roundabout construction,” Kessler said.
“However, we know some motorists will take the route because they know the area or their mapping software on their phone or car may offer them that option.”
Residents noticing an increase in traffic, speeding, property damage, etc should notify the Knox County Sheriff’s Office.
This independent, local reporting provided by our Report for America Corps members is brought to you in part by the generous support of the Knox County Foundation and Kokosing.