WASHINGTON COURT HOUSE — The Fayette County Engineer’s Office is taking an active role to protect Miami Trace students and implement traffic safety during the school district’s busiest times, according to FCEO Chief Deputy Jason Little.

The traffic is heaviest during dismissal times and also large sports activities at the Miami Trace school campus. Many buses are leaving the parking lots, parents are picking up students, and student drivers are all trying to exit to State Route 41 near the intersection of Bloomingburg New Holland Road, Little said. He is concerned about vehicles that exceed the posted speed limits in the area during these times.

The engineer’s office has partnered with Carpenter Marty Transportation, Inc., traffic consultants, to do a study to analyze crash trends, determine countermeasures to mitigate accidents, and prioritize and recommend safety changes at what the engineers have identified as a priority intersection in Fayette County, according to Little.

A $20,000 study being paid for by the Ohio Valley Regional Development Corporation is underway, according to Stephanie Gilbert, transportation planning coordinator, for two possible options to improve the intersection of State Route 41 and Bloomingburg New Holland Road.

The Carpenter Marty Transportation (CMT) draft of the study should be ready by mid-August, according to Gina Balsamo of CMT. The car-count data was collected last week to provide insight as to the amount of traffic causing congestion at that intersection. They are studying different traffic patterns for safety changes.

Little said that water lines were aligned off the intersection when the new schools were originally built to take traffic changes into consideration. Therefore, water lines would not have to be impacted.

One item discussed was possible sidewalks for the State Route 41 campus area so students living in the immediate area have better walking safety. Sidewalks were already installed throughout the school campus, Little said. Gilbert said that 100% state funding is available for possible sidewalk installation.

Little said that even though Fayette County Sheriff’s Office deputies are on site for all football and basketball games on campus, there are still some traffic congestions that need to be alleviated.

Two options mentioned in the study are a possible traffic light at the intersection, or an offset roundabout to slow traffic in the area. The roundabout would be made big enough for school buses and for semis traveling State Route 41. Vehicle turning movements, crash reports, assessing current conditions, and growth rate will all be in consideration for this study.

The final item in the study will be cost estimates, which will be submitted to the Ohio Department of Transportation for consideration of how much funding ODOT will contribute and how much the county will be responsible for to accomplish the final goal.

“Safety is our main concern,” Little said.