ODOT presents Fostoria overpass project

FOSTORIA — It's still about a handful of years away, but officials say people are closer to having a safer, more expedient pathway between Fostoria's Iron Triangle area and destinations to the north.Twenty-three years after discussion originated about such a project, representatives of the Ohio Department of Department's District 2 office in Bowling Green and the Ohio Rail Development Commission in Columbus met with local residents Tuesday during a three-hour time period at the Fostoria Learning Center.ODOT Public Information Officer Kelsie Hoagland said about 100 people registered as visitors in the first hour of the session, which included chances for people to see drawings and talk with those involved in ODOT's planned and recommended bridge construction to pass over CSX and Norfolk Southern railroad crossings that now create traffic and safety issues along Town Street and Columbus Avenue.The plan, essentially, is for a bridge to span the distance between Seneca Avenue to the South and Town Street to the north, with the Columbus Avenue crossings being closed to form turnaround points. The plan was devised from a study that was conducted to evaluate the usages of both roadways.The acquisition of about 15 properties will be necessary to complete the project, Hoagland said."It is an opportunity to inform people of what is being proposed," she said of the open house. "We have a lot of people who are in here today to specifically see if their property is affected. We have a couple of people from our real-estate department who are here to talk about that issue of why your property might be necessary to be taken. ... But, then, it is just an educational opportunity; otherwise, a lot of people wouldn't know one way or another."And, also, in the project life cycle, it is interesting to think that while we have this phase, it's still several years from construction, but this is how the process goes, and this is outlined and defined by the revised code about how projects of a certain threshold, or a certain impact level, should be presented to the public. Yes, there is a specific guideline that we are following by having this meeting, but it is an opportunity, truly, for people to gain that level of information so they can ask questions and provide their comments.Writing materials and deposit boxes were provided Tuesday for visitors, and, Hoagland said, people may still provide their opinions by calling, writing or visiting website www.transportation.ohio.gov.Hoagland said ODOT and the Ohio Rail Development Commission will evaluate the comments "and weigh them in consideration with what the plans do state, and, ultimately, together, we will make a final decision" and whether to proceed with the project.At the root of the problem is, simply, transportation itself."There is a lot of gridlock," Hoagland said of the crossings in the area in question, "and that is one of the major takeaways from the study, long identified by the community — you can get trapped, and there's no access from the south side of town if there is a train that's blocking a crossing, parked for a long period of time. It prevents not only people getting to and from the things they need, such as the grocery store and otherwise, but it prevents emergency services from being able to access fully as well. So, it's really aimed at alleviating that gridlock that otherwise does happen when the Iron Triangle is in its full effect."Said David Geckle, project manager at ODOT's District 2 office: "Basically, the whole premise of the project is to unlock the Iron Triangle."A fact sheet about the project said safety concerns exist with the fact that vehicles must cross four sets of railroad tracks on South Town Street and Columbus Avenue crosses six sets."Additionally, the skew between the roadway and railway in this area causes sight distance issues," the fact sheet reads. "The improvements that ODOT is proposing will address the at-grade railroad crossing conflicts, improve emergency access and enhance the overall transportation network with a design that fits within physical constraints in the area while being as cost-effective as possible."The estimated cost of the project, with inflation in consideration, is about $13.5 million, Geckle said. More than $7 million is accounted for through a federal grant.The fact sheet says the project is in the preliminary engineering phase of ODOT's Project Development Process."We're just getting started with the design; this is kind of the initial phase of the design for us," Geckle said. "What we've completed is, like, a feasibility study. Basically, they've determined, like, the span lengths of the bridge and the width of the roadway and the clearance over the railroad tracks and those types of things. But we have a long way to go yet, as far as plan development and things like that."The fact sheet says the next steps after preliminary engineering stage will be to refine the project design through the summer of 2027, with the completion of the environmental document and right-of-way plans slated for spring of 2027. The aim is to have right-of-way acquisition done by the summer of 2028, with construction anticipated for spring of 2029 through fall of 2030.Geckle said city officials were involved in the planning of the project, and part of a result of that is an effort to provide citizens with a few amenities along the bridge."It's going to have a shared-use path on the west side of the structure, so you can bike across the bridge," he said. "We're also going to have a small look-out on the bridge, so you can stop and watch the trains, things like that. So, it's going to be, I'll say, a more interesting bridge than a normal, standard overpass bridge."Ellen Gatrell, a life-long Fostoria resident and a railroad enthusiast, said the plan is "long overdue.""This is going to make it so much easier for fire and EMS to get in from the north side," she said. "... This is something that's going to make it safer for everybody in the residential Iron Triangle. They'll be able to get out and go Town Street to Summit Street and they'll never wait on a train. ... I've heard people complain about Columbus Avenue. The railroads and ODOT and everybody else, they have to give and take. If there are going to be a lot of people using Town Street, why would they spend the money to keep maintenance on Columbus Avenue?"