From the 8/29/05 Athens News:

 

 

Bypass a step closer

2005-08-29

 

Although construction is not scheduled to begin until summer 2007, U.S. Rt. 33 travelers in southeast Ohio are one significant step closer to having a bypass around the city of Nelsonville, according to an ODOT release issued Friday.

 

Ohio Department of Transportation District 10 Deputy Director George M. Collins announced that the Federal Highway Administration issued the Record of Decision (ROD) on Friday, Aug. 19, for the nine-mile, four-lane bypass to be constructed north of Nelsonville in Athens and Hocking counties.  This development comes a year after the project was selected for participation in the federal environmental streamlining program.

 

The U.S. 33 Nelsonville bypass project will connect to the existing four-lane highway just east of Nelsonville in Athens County and extend west to the existing four-lane route near the village of Haydenville in Hocking County.  This project is the final link that will complete the upgrade of U.S. Rt. 33 in southeast Ohio.  Some Nelsonville city and business leaders have been unhappy about the bypass because they feel it doesn't provide the city with enough interchanges.

 

Full article: http://www.athensnews.com/issue/article.php3?story_id=21385

 

we need a bypass around a city i've never heard of?

 

 

I've heard of it!

 

I don't see the need for a bypass there, though.

It's to help get beer shipments from the Budweiser plant on the Northside of Columbus get to Athens and OU 5 minutes quicker.  :drunk:

Seriously, it's one of those Appalachian Corridor plans.  It gets 33 out of the (former) congestion of Nelsonville and away from the creekside there.

If you are travelly from Athens to Columbus Nelsonville is that last portion of 33 that is not a four lane highway. It does slow things down some. With a decent size college in Nelsonville, I don't think the businesses will suffer that greatly. Plus it will take away a speed trap.  :-D

From ThisWeek Newspapers (Pickerington), 9/29/05:

 

 

ODOT plans $40M U.S. 33 interchange

Thursday, September 29, 2005

By MACKENZIE WHITE

ThisWeek Staff Writer

 

The Ohio Department of Transportation is planning to build a U.S. Route 33 interchange in the Carroll area, a project expected to cost $40-million. 

 

The interchange would go north of the existing Winchester Road intersection, which would be closed, according to ODOT District 5 spokesperson Cindy Brown and planning administrator Julie Gwinn.  "The goal is to make that a completely limited-access corridor, so it will look just like an interstate," Gwinn said.  "We want to remove all the signals on (U.S. Route) 33 and so the only way to get on 33 would be through an interchange."

 

FULL ARTICLE: http://www.thisweeknews.com/thisweek.php?edition=common&story=thisweeknews/092905/Pickerington/News/092905-News-18150.html

 

How close is that to 256? I have relatives that live in the Pickerington area, but don't know of 33. Would it be toward 70 or 71 from 256, the Pickerington/Worthington interchange?

US 33 is south of Pickerington.

Bexley to Canal Winchester to Lancaster line.

Not a very good pic, but the one they plan to go with is Alternative A/Alternative C...the top yellow line:

 

I've heard of Nelsonville. In fact, I'm sitting in it as I type.

Traffic is the worst on US 33 around 7:30 am. I have waited 5 minutes or more for an opening to make a right turn onto 33. Full of Hocking College drivers and OU drivers. But with gas prices, now I ride my bike along the railroad track to get to HC.

I for one am in favor of the bypass. A good number of people are like myself and stuck in Athens because of spouse, etc attends/works for OU. Employment options for most fields are pretty limited in this area and pay poorly, so a good number of people make the 75-miles each-way drive to Columbus every day. I, for one, would probably make twice as much if I made that drive, way more than enough to pay the additional costs involved (which I'm rather hoping will happen). Nelsonville and Lancaster are basically the two things that make that drive suck, and the Lancaster bypass isn't too far from opening. Bypassing Nelosnville at highway speeds would probably save at least 10 minutes, possibly even more. Even for those who don't commute, a lot of people from this drive to Lancaster or Columbus just for shopping or other services.

The more I've thought about it, the more I like the idea of upgrading US-33, and if a bypass is the only way this can be done, I'll support it.  You make good points about opening up SE Ohio to the Columbus market.

From the 11/19/05 Zanesville Times Recorder:

 

New mandates could be bump for planners of connector road

By CARLO MUÑOZ

Staff Writer

 

ZANESVILLE - New state mandates for federal funds toward local roadway projects, could pose a serious challenge to developers of the highly anticipated 22/93 connector road.  At Friday's meeting of the Transportation Infrastructure Development District board, officials discussed the rule change that will force the county to provide a 20 percent match for any federal funds for the project.

 

Despite having $4.8 million earmarked for the road, as part of the $286 billion Federal Highway Bill passed by Congress earlier this year, developers still face a $17 million financing gap.  If that gap were to be closed by way of federal appropriations, the county would be forced to kick in 20 percent - or $3.4 million - of their own funds.

 

Full story at http://www.zanesvilletimesrecorder.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051119/NEWS01/511190303/1002/NEWS17

 

This road will not only bypass a major portion of Zanesville making travel much easier, but it will also open up Perry County, our neighbor to the south, to I-70, hopefully spurring some development and jobs for them.

From the 2/9/06 Athens News:

 

 

Big timber cut coming in Wayne for highway bypass; money may stay local

By Jim Phillips

Athens NEWS Senior Writer

Thursday, February 9th, 2006

 

Next month, contractors will begin cutting down a wide swath of trees through the Wayne National Forest to clear a path for the U.S. Rt. 33 bypass around Nelsonville.  Rather than selling the felled timber and putting the revenues into the federal treasury as it normally does, the U.S. Forest Service in this case plans to utilize an arrangement that will allow the money to stay in southeast Ohio.

 

Two local organizations, Hocking College and the non-profit Rural Action, stand to benefit from the arrangement, though as of this week, details were still being worked out, and it still isn't certain that both will actually take part.  The new set-up is called a "stewardship contract," and the Forest Service was empowered to use it in 2003 by Public Law 108-7, a part of the federal appropriations budget.  "We're going to do it a little different," explained Ricardo Garcia, a natural resources group leader with the Wayne. "We're going to trade goods for services." 

 

According to Garcia, the Forest Service wants to enter into contracts with HC and the Trimble-based Rural Action to provide services to the agency.

 

FULL ARTICLE: http://www.athensnews.com/index.php?action=viewarticle&section=news&story_id=23380

 

From centralohio.com, 2/11/06:

 

U.S. 22-Ohio 93 bypass still in the works

By KATHY THOMPSON

Staff Writer

 

ZANESVILLE - State Senator Joy Padgett thinks "all transportation counts," when she looks at the Ohio 93 bypass that will extend from the present intersection of U.S. 22 and Ohio 93 north to U.S. 40.  While construction for the bypass is still years into the future - 2012 - the Transportation Improvement District, or TID, approved a motion Friday to continue the work being done on the project.

 

TID Chairman Tom Poorman said a motion to approve the engineering company's fee was passed at the monthly board meeting. M*E Companies out of Westerville will be given $3 million for its engineering part of the project.  Zanesville-Muskingum County Port Authority Executive Director Jerry Nolder said the bypass is now a major priority for his office, the TID board, county commissioners with both Perry and Muskingum Counties and state leaders like Padgett and Rep. Jim Aslaindes.

 

Full story at http://www.centralohio.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/BA/20060211/NEWS01/602110322/1002&template=BA

 

From the 2/13/06 Athens News:

 

 

Despite third-interchange holdouts, Rt. 33 bypass plans have moved into passing lane

By Nick Claussen

Athens NEWS Associate Editor

Monday, February 13th, 2006

 

While some local leaders are still pushing for a third interchange for the U.S. Rt. 33 bypass of Nelsonville, plans for the bypass are moving forward and appear set in stone.  The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) is designing a project that will reroute U.S. Rt. 33 north around Nelsonville.

 

The project has stirred some controversy in Nelsonville and the surrounding region over the last few years.  Many people support the bypass, saying it will make the highway quicker and safer, while others say that taking the highway out of Nelsonville will drastically hurt the city's economy.

 

Several Nelsonville area leaders, including Nelsonville City Council member Clinton Stanley and Athens County Commissioner Bill Theisen, have maintained that ODOT officials originally promised city officials that the bypass would have three interchanges, to give travelers easy access to Nelsonville.  They say that the third interchange is needed for numerous reasons.

 

ODOT's current plans, though, only call for two interchanges, and agency officials maintain that this is the safest and best plan for the highway for numerous reasons.

 

FULL ARTICLE: http://www.athensnews.com/index.php?action=viewarticle&section=news&story_id=23430

 

From ThisWeek Canal Winchester, 3/16/06:

 

 

ODOT plans to limit intersection access

Thursday, March 16, 2006

By SEAN CASEY

ThisWeek Staff Writer

 

Despite concerns of Violet Township leaders and residents, the Ohio Department of Transportation intends to limit access at the intersection of Pickerington Road and U.S. Route 33 this summer.

 

At a meeting with Violet Township trustees Friday, Myron Pakush, deputy director for ODOT's District 5, said removing a stop light, eliminating crossover traffic and only allowing right turns onto and off of Pickerington Road would improve safety and traffic flow on U.S. 33.

 

Full article: http://thisweeknews.com/thisweek.php?edition=CanalWinchester&story=thisweeknews/031606/CanalWinchester/News/031606-News-114791.html

 

From the 3/20/06 Zanesville Times Recorder:

 

Surveyors to be on site of future U.S. 22-Ohio 93 bypass by April

By GI SMITH

Staff Writer

 

ZANESVILLE - Property owners of about 200 parcels in the area of the proposed Ohio 93 bypass will be receiving letters next week informing them that crews will be on-site in the near future taking soil samples and surveying the area.  During the recent Transportation Improvement District board meeting, Jim Brenneman, senior project manager with M*E Companies, said property owners will begin to see survey and sampling crews moving into the area starting around April 3.  The crews will be restating the center line and staking out boring locations.  M*E Companies of Westerville is the firm handling the engineering portion of the project, which is expected to cost roughly $33 million.

 

The estimated 5.1-mile-long project involves building a bypass that connects U.S. 22 and Ohio 93 north to U.S. 40.  Brenneman said the project may go out for construction bid in late 2009, with an anticipated completion date of 2010 or 2011.

 

Full story at http://www.zanesvilletimesrecorder.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060320/NEWS01/603200303/1002/rss01

 

From the 5/29/06 Lancaster Eagle-Gazette:

 

 

ODOT flouts residents' wishes

Department of Transportation intends to remove light from Pickerington Road

By ALAINA FAHY

The Eagle-Gazette Staff

[email protected]

 

PICKERINGTON - The Ohio Department of Transportation wants public input about removing the traffic signal at Pickerington Road and U.S 33.  Drivers will not be able to make a left turn entering or exiting Pickerington Road from U.S. 33 if the light is removed at the intersection.

 

A public hearing on the light removal is scheduled for 5 p.m. June 1 at Peace United Methodist Church in Pickerington. ODOT wants the public to participate in the process, but it's unlikely that any amount of public comment will prevent the removal of the light, said Cindy Brown, ODOT District 5 spokeswoman.

 

"That isn't right," said Fairfield County Engineer Frank Anderson. He believes ODOT is disregarding Fairfield County officials' opinions, such as township trustees, Fairfield County commissioners and several fire chiefs.

 

Full article: http://www.lancastereaglegazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060529/NEWS01/605290305/1002/rss01

 

I was in Baltimore/Liberty Township this weekend and made a point to take 33. Traffic was light and the scenery was beautiful. I'd hate to see more development out there.

From the 6/17/06 Zanesville Times Recorder:

 

New cost figures attached to 93/22 connector

By GI SMITH

Staff Writer

 

ZANESVILLE - New cost figures were released Friday regarding the Ohio 93/U.S. 22 connector road project during a Transportation Improvement District Board meeting.  The last figure for the new 5.1-mile long connector road was $33 million.  On Friday, Jim Brenneman, senior project manager for ME Companies, who is engineering the project, presented new figures that used the Ohio Department of Transportation's new cost-estimating program.  The new projected cost is $39.8 million.

 

One third of the nearly $39.8 million budget is eaten up by cost inflation, design risk and construction risk. That money is estimated in 2010 dollars, not in 2006 dollars.  Brenneman said that the "risk" portions factor in the design risks and the construction risks of the project.  It pads the projected budget in case any unforeseen issues face the road's completion. The further the project goes without any problems, the less those risk factors will play a role in the actual cost of the new road.

 

Full story at http://www.zanesvilletimesrecorder.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060617/NEWS01/606170302/1002/rss01

 

From the 6/17/06 Dispatch:

 

 

PICKERINGTON ROAD

ODOT addresses deadly crossroads

Saturday, June 17, 2006

Mary Beth Lane

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

A traffic light along Rt. 33 at Pickerington Road in Fairfield County will stay, but another at High Street-Bowen Road in Franklin County will go by Sept. 1, a state transportation official said yesterday.

 

Community outcry prompted the Ohio Department of Transportation to postpone the light’s removal and the closure of median access at Pickerington Road until closer to 2012, when funding might be available to build a planned interchange there, said Myron Pakush, an ODOT district deputy director.

 

But ODOT will revisit its original plan and remove the light sooner if accidents persist at the deadly intersection, said Pakush and Lt. Gary Lewis, commander of the Lancaster post of the State Highway Patrol. Thirty crashes and four fatalities have occurred there from 2003 to 2005, according to ODOT, most of them rear-end collisions.

 

Full article: http://www.dispatch.com/news-story.php?story=dispatch/2006/06/17/20060617-D1-04.html

 

From the 6/19/06 Athens News:

 

 

ODOT moving forward on Rt. 33 bypass of Nelsonville

By Nick Claussen

Athens NEWS Associate Editor

Monday, June 19th, 2006

 

Trees are coming down to make way for the U.S. Rt. 33 bypass of Nelsonville, and one more improvement to the highway is being made in Meigs County.

 

The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) has been making major improvements to the U.S. Rt. 33 corridor from Columbus to West Virginia over the last few years, including building the bypass of Lancaster, creating the new Super II stretch of U.S. Rt. 33 between Athens and Darwin, and building the new Ravenswood Connector in Meigs County.

 

Taking the highway around Nelsonville will be the last improvement to be made to the highway, and this project is still moving towards the goal of being open by the end of 2010.

 

Full article: http://athensnews.com/index.php?action=viewarticle&section=news&story_id=25270

 

From the Times, 7/26/06:

 

 

Village asks ODOT for more cash

The requested work would end extra driving when exiting U.S. 33 to Canal Winchester.

By HOLLY FENNER

 

Winchester Boulevard may be joining the already lengthy list of road construction projects in conjunction with the U.S. Route 33 improvements.

 

Canal Winchester Village Council unanimously voted to apply for state funding for a proposed future Winchester Boulevard extension.  "This money isn't even for anything soon, it's for 2015," Bobbie Mershon, council vice president, said.  "But in order for us to move on with the project, we have to put our application in now."

 

In order to meet the 2008-2015 Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission's (MORPC) grant planning period, the village must submit its application for funding by July 31, 2006.

 

Full article: http://www.snponline.com/NEWS7-26/7-26_cwcouncil.htm

 

From the 8/10/06 Lancaster Eagle-Gazette:

 

 

Officials oppose removal of High/Bowen signal

ODOT plans to remove traffic signal on U.S. 33 around Sept. 1

By TAMARIA L. KULEMEKA

The Eagle-Gazette Staff

[email protected]

 

CANAL WINCHESTER - Canal Winchester officials want the Ohio Department of Transportation to postpone plans to remove the traffic signal along U.S. 33 at its intersection with High Street and Bowen Road.

 

But an Aug. 2 letter from ODOT District 5 Deputy Director Myron Pakush says the project will move forward. The light is slated to be removed sometime around Sept. 1.

 

Village officials are not satisfied with Pakush's response and enacted a resolution Monday to set up a meeting with ODOT for further discussion on the matter.

 

Full article: http://www.lancastereaglegazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060810/NEWS01/608100307/1002/rss01

 

From ThisWeek Canal Winchester, 8/24/06:

 

 

Officials lobbying ODOT for signal

Thursday, August 24, 2006

By ROBERT PASCHEN

ThisWeek Staff Writer

 

A group of local elected officials and business representatives are still trying to convince the Ohio Department of Transportation to delay removal of a traffic signal at the intersection of U.S. Route 33 and High Street/Bowen Road until next year.  ODOT plans to remove the signal Sept. 1.

 

Councilwomen Bobbie Mershon and Peg Eisnaugle were to join members of the Canal Winchester Industry and Commerce Corp., area business owners and state Rep. Larry Flowers (R-Canal Winchester) in a closed-door meeting with ODOT representatives on Aug. 23, after ThisWeek's press deadline.

 

ODOT officials have said that the traffic light at High-Bowen is a focal point of accidents in the 12-mile stretch of Route 33 between Lancaster and Columbus that is experiencing annual increases in traffic volume.  Further, ODOT contends that the village has two exits -- Gender Road and Hill-Diley -- that will accommodate traffic after High-Bowen is changed to a right-in, right-out intersection.

 

Full article: http://thisweeknews.com/?edition=CanalWinchester&story=thisweeknews/082406/CanalWinchester/News/082406-News-212731.html

 

From ThisWeek Canal Winchester, 8/31/06:

 

 

Businesses brace for loss of traffic light

Thursday, August 31, 2006

By ROBERT PASCHEN

ThisWeek Staff Writer

 

Businesses in Canal Winchester are preparing for life after the Ohio Department of Transportation removes the traffic signal at the intersection of U.S. 33 and High Street-Bowen Road on Sept. 1.

 

Buckeye Ready-Mix spokesman David Horner said he expects the 14 trucks from the concrete plant at 120 N. High St. will be diverted through downtown Canal Winchester and will use the intersection of High and Waterloo streets to access Route 33.  "We have 14 trucks that each make, on average, three turns (per day), Horner said.

 

A "turn" is one trip out of the plant and one trip back, yielding two trips through downtown per turn.  Fourteen trucks times six trips means Buckeye Ready-Mix trucks will be "going by that intersection 80-some times per day," Horner said.

 

Full article: http://www.thisweeknews.com/index.php?sec=canalwinchester&story=sites/thisweeknews/083106/CanalWinchester/News/083106-News-215147.html

 

From the Lancaster Eagle-Gazette, 9/8/06:

 

 

ODOT removes light from U.S. 33

By TAMARIA L. KULEMEKA

and ANTHONY DE YOUNG

The Eagle-Gazette Staff

[email protected]

 

CANAL WINCHESTER - The day some motorists have dreaded and others looked forward to came Thursday, when the High Street and Bowen Road traffic signal off U.S. 33 began flashing yellow.

 

A barricade was put up preventing traffic from crossing over U.S. 33, limiting access on and off High/Bowen to right turns only.

 

The traffic signal removal is part of the Ohio Department of Transportation's plan to make U.S. 33 a limited access highway.

 

Full article: http://www.lancastereaglegazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060908/NEWS01/609080309/1002/rss01

 

From the 9/17/06 Lancaster Eagle-Gazette:

 

 

Medicinal plants being saved from U.S. 33 expansion

By ALAINA FAHY

The Eagle-Gazette Staff

[email protected]

 

ATHENS COUNTY - Rural Action, Wayne National Forest and Hocking College are working together to save lives - of plants.  The agencies are working together to rescue plants that would otherwise be lost when the Ohio Department of Transportation begins construction on the Nelsonville Bypass on U.S. 33.

 

"We're trying to preserve the genetic heritage of forest herbs," said Elise George, plant rescue volunteer coordinator.

 

The three herbs George said are the focus of the rescue are goldenseal, black cohosh and bloodroot.  The herbs are traditionally medicinal herbs, which means they have a history of helping people get well.  The plants will be put into the Wayne National Forest, Ohio's only national forest.  If they were not saved and replanted, they could become extinct because the herbs are rare, George said.

 

Full article: http://www.lancastereaglegazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060917/NEWS01/609170307/1002/rss01

 

From ThisWeek Canal Winchester, 9/14/06:

 

 

Lower speed limits sought on Diley

Thursday, September 14, 2006

By ROBERT PASCHEN and SEAN CASEY

ThisWeek Staff Writers

 

If local officials have their way, speed limits through the Diley Road construction area near Canal Winchester will be cut almost in half.

 

The speed limit is now 55 miles per hour, and Canal Winchester wants that lowered to 25 mph, said Matt Peoples, village director of public works.

 

Members of the Trucco Construction Co. crew working on the Diley Road widening project have complained to village officials that drivers travel through the construction zone at unsafe high speeds.

 

Full article: http://www.thisweeknews.com/index.php?sec=canalwinchester&story=sites/thisweeknews/091406/CanalWinchester/News/091406-News-222193.html

 

Four more years: ODOT pushes back bypass building

Casey Elliott, Staff Writer

Friday, December 22, 2006

 

NELSONVILLE - The construction work of the proposed Nelsonville bypass has been pushed back four years - a delay the Ohio Department of Transportation claims is the result of increasing material and fuel costs.  The bypass was expected to be completed by 2011, but rising costs prompted ODOT officials to push back its projected completion date to 2015, ODOT District 10 Acting Deputy Director T. Steve Williams said Thursday.

 

"Although not ideal, we understand that rescheduling phases of some large-scale Ohio projects such as the Nelsonville bypass is necessary in order to balance the significant offset of rising construction costs," he said. "In the meantime, District 10 will continue to develop this project according to its original schedule. We are actively pursuing this project, and we will be ready to construct as soon as funding becomes available."

 

Full article:

http://www.athensmessenger.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=273&ArticleID=2125

>Without this bypass, we may lose companies and we may even have difficulty in attracting others."

 

What companies?  Rocky Boots and McBee are already gone.  No companies are going to move to that region (so much of modern 33 has been there for decades, and 32 to Cincinnati has hardly attracted a Burger King), between this and the Lancaster bypass the trip from Athens to Columbus might be cut by 20 minutes over what it was previously, making it somewhat easier for married couples who work at OU and somewhere in Columbus.   

Nelsonville bypass will have to wait

Short on money, ODOT extends Rt. 33 project by 5 or 6 years

Saturday, January 13, 2007

Mary Beth Lane

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH 

 

NELSONVILLE, Ohio — Construction of a Rt. 33 bypass around this Athens County town will be delayed because of funding problems, and some folks are OK with that.  "I’m a little relieved," said Marti Dolata, who owns Spinning Turtle Yarn & Gifts on the historic Public Square of this city of about 5,500 people.  "It will give us some more time to establish the area as a destination spot for people before we get bypassed."

 

Traffic to and from Ohio University in nearby Athens helps keep the streets full here, sometimes beyond capacity, which is one reason for the bypass.

 

Original plans by the Ohio Department of Transportation called for completion of the 9-mile bypass in 2011.  But the state Transportation Review Advisory Council, which picks which big projects are funded and when, decided last month to delay it because of funding problems.  Now, it won’t be completed until 2016 or 2017, said ODOT spokeswoman Stephanie Filson.

 

Full article: http://dispatch.com/news-story.php?story=dispatch/2007/01/13/20070113-D1-04.html

A "lack of funds." I can see why you guys were pretty peed off over the signage-replacement projects. After looking over other articles and talking to a few more within ODOT, it is appearantly the case that _all_ signage will be replaced regardless, except for those within the current specifications.

 

At least this won't be too horrid. Traffic utilises a three-lane concrete roadway through Nelsonville and is two blocks (IIRC) from the central-business district. The road was rehabilitated a few years ago.

I think a lot us of object to things like wholesale sign replacement as a case of misplaced priorities. You could even say the same thing about the Nelsonville bypass, when you look at the demographics of the area: A large low-income population, which must drive many miles to access jobs in the Columbus area, faced with high cost of auto ownership, with no alternative but to drive. We need to look at all choices and use the one best suited to the problem. We also should diversify transportation options to serve the needs of travelers and businesses in the way best suited to their needs.

 

$164 million would give us a good regional rail service and connecting shuttle buses at intermediate and end points. It would likely be enough to reconstruct the now-abandoned line between Nelsonville and Athens.

 

If we get into a Peak-Oil scenario, with very high oil prices, people in these rural, low-income areas are going to be in real trouble if they do not have transportation choices. They won't be able to afford to drive. This is becoming the case even now, as it already costs up to $8,000 annually to own and operate a vehicle and as China and India and other countries ramp up, oil will become more costly anyway.

 

Stuff like the Peak Oil scenario concerns me. Any little shock and it's "game over" because we are so overdependent on the auto.

Actually, at least one of Athen County's Commissioners has reportedly been raising the idea of commuter rail between Athens and Columbus. The stated reason for this is precisely what BuckeyeB just stated.... the heavy traffic that uses the US-33 corridor everyday, with most of that coming from people going to and from jobs in the Columbus area.

 

This would not be an easy undertaking, as the rail line from Nelsonville to Athens is gone.  I believe, however that most of the old right-of-way is intact.  Then there would have to be a major rehab of the existing rail line between Nelsonville and Columbus, in order to accommodate commuter trains: new track, ties, signals, grade crossing upgrades.  The bonus for this is that it would also improve the rail line for freight as well and might help spur some economic development along the corridor that could create jobs in an area that sorely needs them.

 

It's an interesting idea, as there would really only be a need for a couple of trains in both the morning and evening initially, unless demand would drive the need for more.  Freight trains could use the tracks during times when the commuter trains aren't running, as it's not a heavily used freight line to begin with (one or two a day each way, I believe).

 

One potential major glitch would be getting past the junction in South Columbus, where that line must cross the Norfolk Southern and CSX.  Then there is the problem of a downtown Columbus station stop.

 

The good news, as far as station stops, is that communities like Nelsonville, Lancaster and Canal Winchester have existing stations.

 

This sounds like an idea worth exploring, but it will take some major building of political will. Still, with ODOT now delaying the Nelsonville By-Pass, maybe it's time to suggest an alternative.

Having a commuter train would also connect the region to the Ohio Hub.  Consider the large student population there too.  It may help reduce the need for car ownership among students.

 

The junction in south Columbus, can a fly-over be put there? 

A flyover is certainly possible.... but it is an expensive fix.  That junction has already been a point of dispute between the NS and the Indiana & Ohio RR which owns and operates the Columbus to Logan line.  It might take a flyover to resolve it.

Hmmmm...back of the envelope stuff here...an overpass would probably cost about $10 million. Add to that rebuilding the line between Nelsonville and Athens, say 10 mi @ $5 mil per mile for $50 mil. and then do the track and signal work, another 40 mi @ say $2 mil per mile...that's about $140 mil, not counting stations and rolling stock. The $167 mil for the Nelsonville bypass would do quite nicely.

Now hope for an ODOT Director who sees it that way.  It would take some "out-of-the-Borg" thinking on their part, but if the whole point is to improve the flow of traffic on US33, why not do that by actually removing some of that traffic?

 

Up to this point "all resistance is futile", according the Borg...maybe, just maybe that will change.

A recent article from Athens News on the commuter rail route from Athens to Columbus.  I’m not 100 percent sure, but the rail right-of-way on the west end of Athens to the original station location may have been taken up by student apartments (University Commons complex), the HDL center, and some other developments near where the passenger station sat.  The old rail bed that ran under the Richland Bridge is still somewhat intact, but this is where the new student center was built. 

 

Commissioners have been workin' on a railroad plan

2007-01-11

BY NICK CLAUSSEN

Athens NEWS Associate Editor

 

The Athens County Commissioners joined a railroad association on Tuesday as part of Commissioner Bill Theisen's push for a new commuter railroad system to run throughout southeast Ohio.

 

The railroad association costs $125 a year to join, and the county will receive publications and information on railroad issues, Theisen said. It will benefit county officials as they continue to look into bringing commuter trains back to Athens County, he said.

 

Theisen has become a proponent of using the existing railroad tracks from Nelsonville to Columbus, in order to provide public transportation and also to allow companies to transport more products. He explained on Tuesday that state leaders are already looking closely at establishing a high-speed train service to connect Cincinnati, Columbus and Cleveland, and he wants Athens County to be connected as well.

 

More: http://www.athensnews.com

>In between Athens and Nelsonville, the Hockhocking Adena Bikeway stands on the old railroad bed, Theisen said. If the county wanted to extend the railroad tracks to Athens, either the bike path would have to be moved or a new path would have to be built for the railroad.

 

This is incorrect.  Between Athens and The Plains the bike path runs along the ROW of the canal (which was later turned into the RR to Nelsonville), an active railroad still in fact connects Athens to Columbus, however it diverts from the US 33 corridor and travels through Chauncey, Glouster, a number of other small towns, and bypasses Lancaster.  It looks like only a 5 mile gap exists between it and Lancaster's railroad (the one that connected Lancaster to Nelsonville and Athens via the scenic railroad).  Seems as though all that is missing is a 5 mile gap between The Plains and Hocking College, then whatever is missing on the north end of the scenic railroad and "Sugar Grove", a point about two miles south of the new Lancaster bypass.  I'm going by the maps on Google maps, although I'm not sure Theison yet has an email account. 

 

There actually used to be a railroad bridge to a spur that ended at the bottom of Lancaster St. near the Honda dealership (piers are still there), running into Athens there are actually two routes south of that ridge, one which the bike path travels over and then another which parallels W. Union St. to the depot opposite the Smiling Skull Saloon. 

 

So to review, there were originally two railroads between Athens and The Plains, one of which is still active and runs to Columbus in a roundabout fashion and the other which is now part bike path and part scenic railroad.  And btw I think the bike path could easily be reconstucted to the side of any reconstructed railroad, there is plenty of space. 

Can anyone answer what "rail association" is referred to in the article from the Athens newspaper?

That highway and its large interchanges would bust up the best forest in Wayne National Forest.  It is an 110 year old "old growth forest" and the best of its kind in the Wayne NF.  Other parts of this national forest are smaller contiguous areas, newer growth, or old coal mine sites.  This lame project is designed to "finance itself" by using the proceeds of the timber they were going to cut.

 

A more tasteful option would be to improve the alignment through the city of Nelsonville.  Then, the existing businesses get business from the motorists, and we would not have to waste more countryside for developments at the new exits.

Article from today's Athens Messenger:

Some say bypass delay not all bad

Tuesday, January 16, 2007

 

NELSONVILLE - While those pushing for regional economic development have decried the state's decision to delay construction of the Nelsonville bypass, some in Nelsonville see it as an opportunity to better prepare the city for the project's impact.

 

Last month, a state highway advisory council pushed back the Route 33 bypass by four years, citing money problems caused by increases in materials and fuel costs.  The slated completion date is now 2015.

 

"Nelsonville has a lot to accomplish in this time period (before bypass completion)," resident Keller Blackburn said.  "The goal is to create a universal message and brand of Nelsonville, while restoring a sense of community and neighborhood and creating economic development and business sustainability."

 

Full article: http://www.athensmessenger.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=273&ArticleID=2313

Noozer:

 

I don't know what rail organization the article is referring to. It'd be interesting to find out!

Volunteers try to save plants from backhoe -- Rt. 33 project to cut through forest

By Kelly Hassett, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

NELSONVILLE, Ohio — Andrew Ford thrust his hands into the loose, crumbly soil of the Wayne National Forest yesterday and felt around.  A moment later he yanked out a black cohosh root, brushed it clean and stowed it in a black plastic bag with other herbs.  Ford, an 18-year-old Ohio University student, was one of about 30 volunteers who hiked through the forest on the second day of what they called a nativeplant rescue weekend.

 

Rural Action, along with Wayne National Forest and Hocking Technical College, organized the event to rescue plants and medicinal herbs from the path of the Rt. 33 bypass project, scheduled to cut through part of the forest.  The project is scheduled to break ground next year. 

 

More: http://www.dispatch.com

 

Actually the Hocking Valley Scenic Railroad runs from Nelsonville to Logan. The rails were torn up several years ago to Athens, but it wouldn't be a huge stretch to restore them.

 

Given the funding shortage facing ODOT, it makes it even more of a shame for these woodlands to be sacrificed for a highway project that may be greatly delayed or not happen at all.  But it's also a good reason to be looking at a commuter rail line in the busy US-33 corridor. A commuter line with frequent enough service can reduce the need for creating more highway capacity by reducing traffic on US-33.