Eleven different public infrastructure projects — including new roads, sidewalks, pedestrian bump-outs, hiking and biking trails, and storm-water projects – will be constructed in the City of Dayton, Ky. this spring and summer.
“This spring has been busy, and this summer and fall will be an extremely very busy time in our city for construction of public-infrastructure improvements,” Dayton Mayor Ben Baker said. “All of this construction work will create some short-term pain in terms of traffic disruptions, dust, and detours, but in the end, it will make our city more vibrant, walkable, and attractive.”
Completed projects
The city already completed two infrastructure projects this year: new sidewalk and road improvements to the intersection at O’Fallon Street, Fifth Avenue, and Manhattan Boulevard and a new trail section that connects the parking lot of Queen City Marina at the foot of O’Fallon Avenue to the existing section of the Riverfront Commons river’s-edge hiking and biking trail along the Ohio River just north of Manhattan Boulevard.
The intersection improvements — which include new curbs, signs, sidewalks, ADA-accessible ramps, and pavement striping for crosswalks and stop bars – were designed to improve pedestrian and vehicular safety at this busy intersection. See photo of this project under construction.
The new trail section on the Riverfront Commons trail covers about a 100-foot area where trail walkers and bikers had created a dirt and mud path to access the first phase of the lower trail project, which was completed two years ago. See photo link of this completed project.
“More and more residents and visitors are walking, hiking, and biking on our streets, sidewalks, and trails,” Mayor Baker said. “These new infrastructure improvements will enhance this experience and make these streets, sidewalks, and trails safer and more enjoyable.”
Projects currently underway
Three infrastructure projects are currently underway in the city:
These sidewalk improvements are part of a Safe Routes to Schools grant the city received from Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC). These grants are designed to increase safety, particularly for children going to school, reduce traffic congestion, and contribute to livable, walkable communities.
The 13 sidewalk-bump-outs on Sixth Avenue in the Central Business District will extend some of the existing downtown sidewalks into the street. See design plans for this downtown project.
These improvements narrow the roadway to provide additional pedestrian space and safety, including increased pedestrian visibility through improved sightlines, decrease pedestrian exposure to traffic by shortening the crossing distance, reduce vehicle speeds, and provide additional space for street furnishings, outdoor dining, and plantings.
Construction of both the Dayton Pike sidewalks (see photo) and Belmont Road sidewalks (see photo) are currently under construction by Adleta Construction Co.
Electric conduit will be installed during this construction phase on both Sixth Avenue and Dayton Pike projects, but lighting fixtures will not be added in these project areas until a later date.
“These sidewalk projects have been 10 years in the making, and we are excited to finally see them coming to fruition,” Mayor Baker said. “These are just the first steps we are taking to enhance our downtown streetscape and improve pedestrian safety in our city.”
Projects coming this summer and fall
The following projects are slated for construction this summer and fall:
The developer of the Manhattan Harbour development area will construct the final leg of Manhattan Boulevard – which is roughly about one-fourth of a mile – in the coming weeks. This project will involve bringing fill to the site to raise the roadway above the 100-year flood level, then installing utilities, lighting, curbs, sidewalks, and the roadbed itself.
Once the road is finished and inspected, it will be dedicated as a public roadway maintained by the City of Dayton. This roadway will serve, among other uses, the new $50 million, 265-unit multi-family development being built by Velo Riverside LLC adjacent to the Manhattan Harbor Marina. Filling and grading work on this residential project is coming to completion. Velo Riverside is the same ownership group that constructed the 263-unit Tapestry on the River apartment community, which has since been purchased and renamed Manhattan on the River.
Forty-five days after the last portion of Manhattan Boulevard is completed, the developer is slated to start work on the long-awaiting Berry Street connector road, which will connect the Manhattan Boulevard to Berry Street. This project will allow residents of the community along the river easy access to downtown Dayton businesses and allow residents of other Dayton neighborhoods and visitors to the city easy access to the Ohio River from the city center.
Phase II of the Riverfront Commons trail project will add about three-quarters mile to the existing trail, which is part of a larger 11.5-mile trail system that runs from Dayton to Ludlow. The city is awaiting final approval of the bid specifications for this project from KYTC. The city hopes to start construction of this phase of the project this summer.
The city is undertaking two stormwater improvement projects in partnership with SD1. One project is designed to eliminate stormwater backups at the intersection of Fourth Avenue and Kenton Street. A second project is designed to address stormwater issues affecting properties located on the east side of Ervin Terrace from Belmont Road to 10th Avenue.
Once the stormwater project is completed on Fourth Avenue, KYTC will mill and repave Ky. 8 — portions of Sixth Avenue, Clay Street, and Fourth Avenue – from O’Fallon Avenue to Mary Ingles Highway. In addition, at its next meeting, the Dayton City Council is expected to approve a $220,417 contract with Riegler Blacktop to mill and repave the following streets:
This work, which will be paid from the city’s Municipal Road Aid fund, is expected to be completed this summer. The city also has installed 40 ADA ramps throughout the city in anticipation of this repaving work.
Future projects
he city’s engineers are currently working on designs for two additional projects that have been approved and are seeking approval for two other infrastructure projects in the city. The two projects currently being designed are:
The sidewalk project runs from Chateau Ridge to the existing sidewalk across from Gregory Lane, which the City of Fort Thomas completed last year. Design work is currently underway. Once construction of this project is completed, pedestrians will be able to walk on sidewalks from downtown Dayton to downtown Fort Thomas for the first time since both cities were founded. The city hopes these design plans and bid specifications will be approved this year by the state so construction of this project can occur next year.
Phase III of the Riverfront Commons project is also in the design phase. This phase of the project will complete the river’s-edge trail and connect with this portion of the trail to the older trail on top of the levee, which will create a three-mile trail loop along the Ohio River. The city hopes to that construction of this project can take place next year, too.
The city also has two outstanding grants for other public infrastructure projects. One seeks $750,000 from a KYTC for a TAP grant to provide for upgrades and improvements to the upper trail of Riverfront Commons. This trail section is more than 25 years old and has surpassed its useful life and needs to be replaced. It also needs to be expanded to from five feet in width to eight feet in width to accommodate the growing number of residents and visitors who use this trail for walking, running, and biking.
Dayton is also working with Southbank Partners and the cities of Bellevue and Fort Thomas to obtain a federal RAISE grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to fund the design to create a better connection of the riverfront trail between Bellevue and Dayton and to extend this trail from its current terminus at the Dayton floodwall to along Mary Ingles Highway and through the city and into and through Fort Thomas. The city is awaiting notifications from both of these governments about these grants, which it expects to receive this spring/summer.
