Intersections closed indefinitely on Hwy 34

Motorists passing through Red Oak can expect the Highway 34 expansion project will experience lengthy closures moving forward.
City administrator Lisa Kotter said city staff, along with Red Oak Mayor Shawnna Silvius and Montgomery County Emergency Management coordinator Brian Hamman, all met with representatives from the DOT to discuss a timeline for the continued work on the project.
“While it’s not always pleasant to make some of these decisions, we really have to do what we can to get this project moving quicker than it’s been moving. What we kind of decided on behalf of the city was that we needed to give our okay to be able to close  the three intersections at once, so that they can just proceed down and not be chunked up into sections, starting and stopping,” advised Kotter. “From Red Oak Fire Chief John Bruce’s perspective, it really felt like it’s just not safe that people are now having all these trucks coming in and out, they’re crossing from an easterly to  westerly direction, and then we just have regular people trying to cross there.”
Kotter said the decision has been made to have all three of the south side intersections be closed, The only entrance to Highway 34 from the south is from Broadway. At the time these intersections are closed, the lanes on the north side will be open to traffic. Therefore, all the businesses on the North side along Senate Avenue will be accessible.
Kotter said unfortunately, there is no telling how long the closures will be necessary.
“They will not tell us how long. It’s definitely not going to be completed in a week or so.  It could be the rest of the construction season. So far, they’ve had pretty good weather, it’s just all about the temperature. So last winter, people could pave and pour concrete well into December. If it’s a cruddy cold, then it could be stopped. I think our gut feeling is this is not going to be done before winter, I think everything for sure to the west of the intersection at 34 and 48 will have to be done in the spring. And the hospital, if there’s a traffic to the hospital, it will have to come that far also,” commented Kotter. “Estimates on this closure are that it will last around five weeks.”
Kotter added that steps will be taken to publicize the closures for anyone traveling on that section of the roadway.
“The EMA has two digital signs. I think we decided that Fourth Street had enough visibility in the area, and that we would put his two signs for northbound traffic at Eighth Street and on Eastern Avenue, or on Sunset Avenue,” Kotter stated. “We created that visual when we closed the ones on the other side that were temporary. And then obviously our two chiefs, the sheriffs, they all got that same information and really encouraged them to make sure that all of their boots on the ground employees are aware of it so people aren’t getting trapped and delaying response.”
Police Chief Justin Rhamy made it clear all traffic will transition onto the new pavement, so traffic will be flowing on that new pavement. Only the intersections are shutting down.
“They’ve run into a lot of hiccups along the way. And to speed this process up, we agreed with them to shut those intersections down. So as far as access from the east, west, anything like that, it’s still going to be a thorough highway,” said Rhamy.
Also, Kotter said she had reached out to superintendent Ron Lorenz with the Red Oak Community School District, and Ron Kloewer, Montgomery County Memorial Hospital CEO about the intersection closure.
Councilperson Sharon Bradley asked if there was any chance for crosswalks along 34. Kotter said there would be a potential on the new stoplight.
“Because there’s a lighted intersection going in at 34 and 48, they will not put crosswalks there or actuators to go with crosswalks until there’s sidewalks installed.  But at some point, if we want to look at sidewalks along Broadway on the north and south, or on Commerce Drive, crews did say they’d put the conduit in so that if we ever want to do that, that it won’t be very difficult, but  it won’t be until we invest the funds to put sidewalks there,” advised Kotter.
Kotter also advised that the bridge is slated to be replaced on the south end of Highway 48. Kotter said they had some good news about that project.
“The original intent was for that to be closed completely. They will now do a half-and-half construction, so it’ll be able to have traffic flowing. It will simply be restricted down to one lane each direction,” Kotter explained. “The other thing is that they originally intended for it to be a small culvert, which doesn’t allow the water flow to be as good, and they are going to completely construct it as a bridge. And so that will also be better for the infrastructure underneath the road there. That is slated to be bid in 2025 with construction in 2026.”