Vandalia Bike Path to connect to Great Miami

BY: Contessa Hussong

Construction part of expanded bike network

The Crossroads of America” is about to become a little more connected, as Vandalia creates a bike path to link to the Great Miami bikeway.

The new trail will connect city neighborhoods to the Taylorsville Metropark and is set for completion next year, per the Ohio Department of Transportation’s (ODOT) latest estimations.

“The majority of the construction is located within Taylorsville Metropark. There will be some intermittent lane and road closures at various points in the project when roadway marking and bridge work is being completed,” Loryn Bryson, ODOT Public Information Officer said. “A start date has not been finalized…at this time. The estimated completion date is Fall of 2025.”

Once construction begins, Bryson invites locals to visit the ODOT website, www.transportation.ohio.gov/projects, to stay up-to-date with any changes to normal transportation patterns.

During that time, Carrie Scarff, the Chief of Planning and Projects for the Five Rivers Metroparks, is well-prepared for any disturbance Taylorsville might see during construction. With Taylorsville already part of the 350-mile network that creates the Great Miami bikeway, Scarff is experienced in dealing with detours and construction and expressed only confidence in the Metropark staff’s ability to minimize impact throughout the process.

And in the face of such challenges, Scarff emphasized excitement for the new path. “We're so fortunate here to have so many agencies and municipalities collaborating to create this tremendous bikeway network,” Scarff said. “We have tremendous support from federal and state grant sources to help with that, and then we share the cost of maintaining the bikeways … that is the largest in the nation.”