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Sep
21
Written by:
news editor
9/21/2011 1:00 AM
Visitors to Old Man’s Cave at Hocking Hills State Park will begin to see construction activity as a project to reroute State Route 664 gets underway.
COLUMBUS, OH – Visitors to Old Man’s Cave at Hocking Hills State Park will begin to see construction activity as a project to reroute State Route 664 gets underway, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR).
Current construction activity includes clearing while grading will begin in October. The $6.6 million project is scheduled for completion in October 2012.
The road is being relocated north of its present location between the park office and the entrance to the day lodge as a pedestrian safety measure. With the relocation, visitors will not have to cross the busy roadway now located between the parking lot and the park’s visitor center and trails.
The parking lot will be improved by adding a bus lane for passenger drop-offs and pick-ups and will feature a new plaza gateway to the visitor center and the trails.
The project will also address the environmental issue of runoff from the parking lot that now drains directly into the gorge. It will instead drain into newly constructed retention basins that will filter water through plants and soil and help control flooding. The new roadway will also bridge streams in order not to alter their present course.
Another improvement will be construction of a paved trail that will replace the current roadbed from the park office to the visitor center. This portion of the trail will meet Americans with Disability Act guidelines for access for the mobility impaired. It will then continue to the day lodge.
Park facilities in the area, including the visitor center trails and archery range, will remain open throughout the construction project. Portions of the Old Man’s Cave parking lot may be temporarily unavailable to visitors due to the construction work.
The ODNR ensures a balance between wise use and protection of our natural resources for the benefit of all. Visit the ODNR Web site at www.ohiodnr.com.
For more information, contact:
Gus Smithhisler, ODNR Office of Engineering
614. 265. 6965
Jason Fallon, ODNR Office of Communications
614. 265. 6842
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