HOCKING HILLS: SR 664 Relocation

SR 664 Relocation in Hocking Hills Area

HOCKING HILLS STATE PARK - During an open house held at Old Man's Cave Visitor Center on Monday, the public gave opinions on the proposed relocation of state Route 664.

The road-relocation project is a collaboration between the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) District 10, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) and the Friends of the Hocking Hills State Park (FOHHSP).

The road in question is the section of state Route 664 South that divides the gorge and Old Man's Cave Visitor Center from nearby parking facilities. ODOT, ODNR and the Friends of the Hocking Hills State Park hope to reconstruct that portion of state Route 664 so that it runs on the other side of the parking lot, farther away from the gorge.

"Currently, we're completing feasibility studies and are still in the early stages of the process," said Stephanie Filson, public information officer for ODOT District 10. "Our three main purposes of doing this are: integration, safety and preservation."

A pamphlet provided at the open house elaborates:

â€¢ Integration: "The current integration of state Route 664 with Hocking Hills State Park creates an undesirable park condition, creating an unnatural experience for the visitor."

â€¢ Safety: "There are currently over 2.3 million people who attend Hocking Hills State Park annually. With growing regional tourism and an increasing number of park visitors, the conflict between pedestrians and vehicles at this location continues to pose a safety concern for transportation officials.

â€¢ Preservation: "At the present time, state Route 664 runs relatively close to Old Man's Cave. Existing environmental concerns include air, water, and noise quality, and vibration and erosion that could affect the structural stability of the gorge."

From 3 to 7 p.m. visitors glanced over five alternative plans (one being a "no build" control group option), and gave feedback to representatives from ODOT, ODNR, FOHHSP, and R.D. Zande & Associates, Inc. (a consulting firm that FOHHSP hired to help with feasibility studies and early public involvement with the project).

Visitors also filled out a survey on whether they agreed with the project's three main goals: integration, safety and preservation. Of the 15 visitors who filled out that portion of the survey, nine agreed that integration, safety and preservation needed attention.

One commented, "This is definitely needed," while another wrote, "Why now? Is there evidence of damage being done to the gorge?"

Earlier that day, ODNR led a tour of the gorge for State Rep. Dan Dodd and representatives from the offices of Rep. Sherrod Brown, U.S. Sen. George Voinovich and Rep. Zack Space. (The group was invited by the Hocking Hills Tourism Association as part of a "Legislative Day.")

"ODNR wanted to demonstrate the proximity of the highway to the gorge," Filson said. "The tour made it understandable - it's easy to see that erosion could take place."

Representing ODNR were Park Manager and Assistant Park Manager for Hocking Hills and Lake Logan State Parks: Tim Archer and Chris Grupenhof.

Grupenhof said the road-relocation project is the first phase of a multi-faceted plan for the park, which also includes a proposed astronomy park and visitor education center.

"We figured it would only be responsible to look at the safety issues before we do all that," he said.

The Friends of Hocking Hills State Park has been planning the proposed additions for months, and in March its Astronomy Park fund topped $5,000, thanks to a successful Chinese Auction.

FOHHSP President Jerry Jividen said protecting the gorge is a crucial part of their plans.

"I was surprised to see how close the highway was to the gorge - in some areas it was only 35 feet away," he said. "Relocating 664 will help protect the gorge for generations to come."

The astronomy park, education center and road relocation all factor together, but yesterday's meeting focused on gaining public feedback about relocating state Route 664, Filson said.

"We're still compiling comments, but people seem receptive to separating visitors and traffic," Filson said. "Having the highway farther from the gorge would help the whole experience of visiting."

Filson said it's still early to make any estimates on the project's budget, as they are only in the beginning of a 10-step plan to relocate the road- (step one being "develop purpose and need" and step two being "scope, schedule and budget).

"We anticipate receiving funds from private and public sources," Filson said, adding that public sources would include federal and state funds. She also said they're fortunate to have support from private donators and don't plan to impact private landowners. (All land being considered for the project is publicly owned.)

Originally Published: In This Publication: Logan Daily News

Posted by hockinghillsnews on Tuesday 22 July 2008 - 10:24:47 | Add/Read Comments: 0