Delaware County – the fastest growing county in Ohio – now has a direct connection to the Columbus metro area, thanks to the completion of the Sawmill Parkway Extension Project. The new road was designed to improve travel times, reduce congestion, and help drive job creation in the county.
The four-lane divided roadway includes five roundabouts and a bike path along the entire 4.5-mile length. The $34.4 million project was completed in 2016 at more than $3 million below the projected construction cost. B&N provided:
- Roadway planning
- Preliminary and final roadway design
- Preliminary engineering
- Environmental services
- Public involvement assistance
The extension of Sawmill Parkway provides many benefits such as:
- Improved Travel Times: The new road provides a more direct route for travelers and reduces commute times to major interstates and the Columbus metro area. Traffic flows continuously at the roundabouts that were built at intersections along the road.
- Reduced Congestion: The population of Delaware County has almost doubled over the last 15 years. Due to the population increase, capacity of the existing road system was inadequate. The Sawmill Parkway Extension takes traffic off local two-lane roads, easing the strain on the roadway system.
- Connecting the Community: A new bike path along the entire length of the road was built for pedestrians and bicyclists, providing better connections for all travelers. The path connects to nearby schools.
- Driving Development: The Sawmill Parkway Extension opens up access to 1,600 acres of land for development, increasing job opportunities in the county.
Fly over the new roadway in this video that was shot just before the road opened in 2016.
With a portion of the project located within city limits, the City of Delaware called the Sawmill Parkway Extension “The City of Delaware’s most significant transportation project for the last 30 years.”
The Sawmill Parkway Extension Project was recognized as the Project of the Year by the American Society of Highway Engineers (ASHE) Central Ohio Section in the over $5 million category. The American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) of Ohio presented the project with an Honor Award in the 2018 Engineering Excellence Awards.