Snowy conditions Monday afternoon on U.S. 27 have drivers slowing down. This stretch of road, just south of Miami University’s Oxford campus, will receive improvements if funding is awarded. (SCOTT ALLISON | The Miami Student)
The city of Oxford has sent an application to Senator Sherrod Brown's (D-Ohio) office for a federal grant of $10 million to fund road construction on U.S. 27 South and is waiting for a reply.
The funding will be used for road improvements from Chestnut Street to Stillwell-Beckett Road.
The Oxford City Council agreed Feb. 2 to submit a direct federal funding request, also known as an earmark. The city has set aside $10 million but the project is estimated to cost around $20 million.
Councilmen also discussed the possibility of receiving no federal funding. If so, the scope of the project would be decreased, rather than use city tax dollars.
City Manager Doug Elliot is hopeful Oxford will receive additional funding. "There are a lot of accidents on U.S. 27, and we believe this project would alleviate some of the safety issues by widening the road and adding sidewalks," Elliot said.
If the city receives less than $10 million from the federal grant, they will apply for Service Transportation Program (STP) funds from the Ohio Kentucky Indiana (OKI) Regional Council of Governments, the metropolitan planning organization for the Greater Cincinnati Area. The STP program has a limit of $6 million.
Construction wouldn't begin until October 2013. The road improvements will increase the shoulder width of the road, add center turn lanes at all intersections and upgrade the intersection at Chestnut Street and Stillwell-Beckett Road.
Due to the increase traffic to Oxford, some think road construction is necessary. Leslie Roytek, mother of a Miami University sophomore, hopes Oxford will receive the grant.
"I worry every time I let my daughter drive back to school," Roytek said. "Road construction on U.S. 27 is long overdue."
The addition of sidewalks will help improve the safety of citizens in Oxford. There will be a new high school built that will rely on sidewalks. Also, the influx of business to Oxford has increased traffic and deteriorated the roads.
Enjoy what you're reading?
Signup for our newsletter
However, others are frustrated at the recent amount of construction on U.S. 27. Sophomore Michael Goldenberg avoids driving on U.S. 27 because of recent detours and construction.
"I don't think road construction is necessary," Goldenberg said. "It will continue to be an inconvenience for Miami students."
The city of Oxford is hoping to hear back about funding approval from Sen. Brown in the coming months.
Read More
How one professor and her classes are preserving Oxford’s Black history
By Sean Scott | March 20, 2024Jazma Sutton, an assistant professor of history, teaches The Black Midwest (HST 350Q) and Black Women in America (HST 450D) classes. In both courses, she has students working with the Smith Library of Regional History and Miami’s archives to document and preserve Black history in Oxford.
Miami faculty members recount Freedom Summer in new documentary
By Luke Macy | February 25, 2022After seven years of work, “Training for Freedom,” a documentary highlighting Oxford’s involvement in the Freedom Summer of 1964, premiered on PBS Western Reserve on Valentine’s Day.
“Documenting the COVID-19 Pandemic”: History in the making
By Alice Momany | August 29, 2021In March 2020, Miami University’s archives launched “Documenting the COVID-19 Pandemic,” a collection focused on life during the COVID-19 pandemic.