The focus of the work is to make it easier for large trucks that can’t navigate the nearby roundabout at Tylersville and Seward roads, get across the railroad tracks.
“We’re rebuilding the road so the trucks can get across the tracks,’’ said Nick Dill, Fairfield’s engineer. “It will improve the crossing for everybody else – it will be a smoother crossing.”
The area being improved at the Fairfield/Fairfield Twp. border is part of an agreement when the city and township entered into a Joint Economic Development District that includes the industrial park.
It allows the city to impose its 1.5 percent income tax on employees within the district, that includes Schneider Electric. Those dollars are shared, with the township receiving 75 percent and the city 25 percent after it is paid a five percent administrative fee.
Barrett will add pavement on either side of the railroad crossing so the approach and descent will be less steep. Doing so will slightly lower the pavement on the south side of the tracks while raising it on the north side, Dill said.
Two back-to-back curves between the railroad tracks and Tylersville Road will also be straightened to lessen their severity as part of the project.
To speed up the work – and make it safer for workers and the public – a portion of Seward Road will be closed for 45 days, beginning Monday. Seward Road be closed between Union Centre Boulevard/Symmes Road and Tylersville Road.
Access to the trailhead parking lot will be closed but the trail will remain open. It can be accessed at the Gilmore Ponds Metropark at either North Gilmore Road or Symmes Road at Bilstein Boulevard.
Traffic will be detoured around the construction site via Symmes Road to Ohio 4 Bypass to Tylersville Road.
This is the last of the road improvements agreed to. Completed projects included the widening of Seward Road to three lanes near the industrial park and a roundabout that opened at the corner of Seward and Tylersville roads.
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