First phase of Beall Ave. project begins this month

Construction of the first phase of the Beall Avenue Streetscape Project will commence this month when crews begin digging trenches up both sides of the avenue, starting just south of North St., to accommodate the relocation of electric, telephone and cable TV lines. The trenching will end just north of University St., where the lines will connect with an existing campus tunnel, pick up again near Johnson House, and continue to Bloomington Ave., the northern terminus of the project. This phase of the work should be complete by July 2008.

The other major pieces of the project – separation of storm and sanitary sewers, plus new lighting, paving, landscaping, and street furniture along the Beall Avenue corridor – will be put out to bid later this year, with work scheduled to commence next spring and conclude by the end of 2009.

That phase of the project will also commence at Liberty St., but will ultimately involve trenching, construction, and paving along the whole length of Beall Ave. as it runs through campus. The college has provided the city with a list of critical dates – including new student orientation, homecoming, family weekend, alumni weekend, I.S. Monday, and the presidential inauguration – during which all contractors must agree not to perform any work within the campus area, and to keep all pavements open to traffic.

The Beall Ave. project is a partnership among the City of Wooster, Main Street Wooster, and The College of Wooster. The project’s goals include developing a stronger linkage between downtown Wooster, the college, and the Beall Ave. commercial district; developing a safer and more attractive environment for area residents and businesses; creating more distinctive gateways to the campus area; and enhancing the marketability of the Beall Ave. commercial district to attract new businesses and support existing ones.

The project includes EPA-mandated upgrades to all water, sanitary sewer, and storm sewer lines; relocation of above ground utility lines underground; new lighting and paving; and the addition of a bike lane. In the campus area, the existing center turn lane will be replaced with a landscaped, tree-lined median, which together with new signage and distinctive crosswalk paving will help better define the boundaries of the campus. Coupled with a reduction in the speed limit – currently 35 m.p.h. – these streetscape changes should also improve pedestrian safety.

Concurrent with the Beall Ave. project, American Electric Power will also run a new set of above-ground power lines up Gasche Street, to provide a secondary transmission route to Wooster Community Hospital.

The $11.3 million cost of the Beall Ave. project is being borne jointly by the City of Wooster, the college, and the other residential and commercial property owners along the avenue. The college’s portion, $4.3 million, has been paid out of the proceeds of bonds issued by the college in late 2005 through the Ohio Higher Education Facility Commission.

Project updates will be communicated to the campus community as needed via this Web page and WHN.