GEORGETOWN – Those who have driven by the Ohio Department of Transportation Garage in Georgetown recently may have noticed all of state’s trucks and employee vehicles parked at a garage next door.
This weekend ODOT began demolition of the garage built nearly 40 years ago as part of a three-county construction project in Adams , Brown and Ross counties.
The project is part of a multi-site contract in which the contractors, Shook Construction, will also be replacing District 9 facilities in Adams and Ross counties this year. At a total cost of approximately $17.6 million for all three sites, construction is anticipated to be completed in February 2016.
Since construction of the new Brown County facility is being undertaken at the site of the former garage, the maintenance staff has been relocated to the warehouse and storage garage adjacent to it on state Route 125, where they will remain until the new facility is completed.
In Adams County, a different scenario is taking place. A groundbreaking for the Adams County garage will be held 1:30 p.m. Monday, June 15, at the site of the new facility, which is off state Route 41 on CIC Drive, across the street from the current garage. It is expected an announcement will be made Monday on the old garage being relinquished to either the village of West Union or the county. The Adams County project is estimated to cost $7 million, which is more than Brown County’s $5.8 million, because land had to be purchased.
Kathleen Fuller, public information officer for ODOT District 9, said the state has been working on the move across the street with Holly Johnson, Adams County’s economic development director. The state is updating facilities around the state, recently doing a project in Highland County as well.
“In an effort to update antiquated systems and buildings, the department has been investing in its county facilities throughout the state as they are needed, and building new sites will prove beneficial to the efficiency and effectiveness of our crews’ daily operations,” said ODOT District 9 Deputy Director Vaughn Wilson in a press release on Monday.
Demolition of the Brown County garage at its location on state Route 125 in Georgetown began over the weekend, and by early morning Monday, June 8, much of the former facility had been razed. The former garage is being replaced with a full-service maintenance facility due to the mechanical, technical and physical condition of the complex, which has become outdated and more difficult and costly to repair.
Once complete, the 12.37-acre Brown County site will house five new structures, including a nearly 20,000-square foot truck storage building that will accommodate the entire fleet of trucks and a 9,440-square foot office and maintenance building with advanced technical and electronic systems. There will also be a 5,040-square foot cold storage building, indoor wash bays, salt and materials storage buildings, and a new fueling station with an automated dispensing control system.
According to the release, along with the new storage capacity and updated technology, the facility will have climate and temperature controls, and the site is being constructed with energy savings and efficiency in mind, with high-efficient lighting, heating and cooling systems.