The Five Points intersection, a notorious bottleneck for local traffic, might finally see some much-needed improvements. City planners have been wrangling with the issue for some time and seem poised to take action. In a move towards enhancing the flow of cars, pedestrians and cyclists, the City's Engineering Division has contracted with American Structurepoint, Inc. and crafted three distinct options for the intersections overhaul, as detailed in an update from the City of Upper Arlington.
At a community meeting last Tuesday, February 10, which drew a crowd of around 120 locals and business stakeholders, American Structurepoint unveiled the trio of concepts. The options presented were: a reconfigured signalized intersection with extra turn lanes and new signal timing, a standard circular roundabout, and a less typical non-circular roundabout. Each roundabout variant promises to incorporate safety features aimed at protecting pedestrians; cyclists would still be able to navigate the roundabouts using either the road or pedestrian paths.
Residents and interested parties have the opportunity to weigh in on these proposals through an online survey that remains open until March 10. This feedback will reportedly guide the team in selecting a favored design, which will bend and shape as the community's voice echoes in the halls of decision-making. The entirety of the February 10 meeting, including slides and a video presentation, is available on the project's webpage.
A second community engagement phase is slated for later this year, where the lead concept will be shared widely with the public. Following this, the timeline moves the project into detailed design throughout 2027, with the hammers and drills set to hit the ground in 2028. The City remains open to questions and comments, which can be directed to [email protected].
