Scodeller Construction Inc., based in Plain City, Ohio, submitted the lowest bid of $408,806, with a 10% contingency built into the price, for the asphalt pavement crack sealing and striping program. The engineer’s estimate was $664,630, according to city documents.
Barrett Materials of Franklin submitted the lowest bid for the paving program at $1.5 million.
While the city is upgrading the condition of its road, council also is taking steps to reduce the amount of damage caused by the truck traffic on Todhunter Road.
For the last several years, residents near Todhunter and Yankee roads have complained to council about the number of semi-trucks leaving nearby companies. They have said Todhunter that winds through residential neighborhoods wasn’t built to handle such heavy loads.
Paul Goodhue, a consultant city engineer, made a presentation that explained a traffic study recently completed on Todhunter.
He said the city collected radar counts for six days west of the DHL driveway and turning movement counts were collected for three days. The data showed that 1,905 vehicles were counted, 97% passenger cars, 3% busses or box trucks. No semis were counted, Goodhue said.
Vice Mayor Christina McElfresh said she receives several complaints from residents in that area almost daily. She said the “real numbers are not that low” and she was disappointed in the findings.
“It doesn’t marry up,” she said.
Goodhue said from what residents had relayed to McElfresh compared to the collected data “are showing two different things.”
He suggested installing more, larger “no through trucks” signs in hopes of giving truck drivers more notice to use Yankee instead of Todhunter when exiting the businesses. Another suggestion was to place signs directing the drivers to Ohio 4 and Ohio 63.
Council agreed to try Goodhue’s suggestions for 30-60 days, then review the traffic study results again.
Mayor Keith Funk called that “a good approach.”
Police Chief Bob Buchanan said he “fully supports” the additional signs in hopes that reduces truck traffic. He said officers periodically check the area for truck drivers traveling Todhunter to Ohio 63 where there is no traffic light.
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