Construction on Colonel Glenn | Photo by Qusai Takuri | The Wright State Guardian
Wright State University is partnering with the city of Fairborn to add pedestrian paths to Colonel Glenn Hwy.
Project
The $2 million project concept began in 2015, with construction beginning in fall 2021.
According to Lee Harris, city engineer for Fairborn, the project was broken into north and south phases which are occurring simultaneously. The south side of the project will consist of a sidewalk connecting WSU property with businesses on the other side of the hwy.
A crosswalk will also be installed for additional safety. On the north side, the path for bikes will be extended. Decorative details like fencing, benches and decorative islands in the road will also be added on both sides.
According to Harris, the project will be completed in either July or August before the academic year starts.
Fairborn-WSU relationship
The university began its collaboration with Fairborn for this road project in 2015 in order to give students more access to businesses while maintaining safety, according to Greg Sample, vice president and chief operating officer for WSU.
While WSU is a collaborator, they did not contribute any funds to the project. Harris explained how funding for this project came from state and federal grants as well as taxes from a local levy.
Sample explained how the university gave the city permission to change and use the land for this construction project.
Student Opinions
President of the Commuter Student Association and commuter senator for the Student Government Association, Alaina Collins remarked how the construction was inconvenient for commuter students at the time, but she is looking forward to safer options for commuters.
“I know that some people who commute aren’t necessarily driving, they live close enough, they might be walking to campus and so that might be a good thing for them to have a safe place to walk,” Collins said.
