Fairbanks facing pushback from ODOT on new access road

Fairbanks is hitting a roadblock with its newly planned campus access road, a project designed to alleviate traffic congestion on Route 38. With ongoing problems now, and an expected growing student body in the future, the district wants to mitigate the traffic issue before it becomes more of a problem. The road is facing challenges due to concerns about its feasibility.

Fairbanks Superintendent Adham Schirg expressed his willingness to collaborate with the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) on the proposal but emphasized that the access road is crucial for the school board to be able to make future decisions.

“This access road has to be in place for us as a board to be able to move forward and make decisions,” Schirg said. “I have a follow-up meeting with ODOT tomorrow, so I hope they’ve considered the points I raised.”

The Ohio Department of Transportation oversees the state highway system, which manages projects like road construction, up-to-date maintenance and safety measures.

“They said this new project is not feasible,” Schirg said. “That we can handle this internally by coming up with a campus access road leading to the back of campus using the two roads we already have in place.”

Despite ODOT’s stance, Schirg remains hopeful that the agency will cooperate with Fairbanks to align with the district’s goals. With plans for future growth, he argues that a third access road is essential to manage traffic and congestion on the school’s campus.

The campus access road is just one part of a larger renovation plan for the district. Schirg also outlined plans to renovate the middle and high schools, as well as upgrade outdated equipment that has been in use since the 1960s.

As the district prepares for the upcoming summer, Schirg is focused on ensuring that all projects are completed in time for the 2025 school year. With the first day of school set for Aug. 20, the district will need to move quickly to avoid any further start delays.