By STEVEN COLLINS Logan Daily News Reporter scollins@logandaily.com | Posted: Thursday, January 10, 2013 5:30 pm
HOCKING HILLS — The state Route 664 South realignment project near Old Man’s Cave is complete and those involved with the project applauded the results at a dedication ceremony Thursday morning.
In total, almost one mile of state Route 664 has been changed. Instead of turning south just past the Hocking Hills State Park Office, the road now continues around the parking lot and meets up with the original road at the intersection of Lodge Road.
Ohio Department of Transportation Director Jerry Wray touted the project as what can happen when people work together.
“This project is a perfect example of the success we can have when both public and private organizations work together,” Wray said. “Not only does this project improve safety for park visitors, it also supports the area’s tourism industry by creating a more pleasant guest experience and enhancing visitor access in and around the state park.”
Public safety also was on the mind of Ohio State Parks Assistant Chief Jon Dobney, who spoke about the project.
“The parking at Old Man’s Cave has been a constant concern for us,” Dobney said. “We wanted to try to do something proactive to not only make it safer for our visitors, but to protect the natural environment because it’s so unique.”
Wray said that all the organizations working together reduced the process from a few years to just six months.
“The processes we have to go through… can be quite lengthy,” he said at the dedication ceremony. “Our currency is time. People want us to get it done. They want us to get in and get out of the way. This project, from design to groundbreaking, typically would take three years, and that’s probably fast. In this particular case, because of planning and engineering administrator Debbie Fought and ODOT, it took six months. That’s worthy of a round of applause.”
“The realignment of state Route 664 will ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for the three million people who visit Hocking Hills State Park each year,” said Ohio Department of Natural Resources Director James Zehringer. “With support from The Friends of Hocking Hills State Park as well as a generous donation from husband and wife Clyde Gosnell and Omie Warner, this realignment project became a reality.”
Master of Ceremony Chris Grupenhof agreed that the project has improved the look of the area.
“Aesthetically, it’s a much cleaner look going into the park,” he said after the ceremony.
In addition to the road alignment, the project added rain gardens, a bus loading curb and additional parking. The old section of state Route 664 has now been turned into a paved path and connects the visitors’ center to the park office.