Work to soon begin on Laurel/Maxwell roundabout in Brunswick

BRUNSWICK — The intersection of Laurel Road and Maxwell Boulevard in Brunswick will soon be turned into a roundabout. Brunswick City Council passed a resolution on Monday to enter into an agreement with Set in Stone Contracting LLC for the Laurel/Maxwell intersection improvements project in an amount not to exceed $1.2 million. The project will be partially funded by an Ohio Public Works Commission grant. According to the city, the project will affect pavement from Pinewood Drive to Coventry Drive, and pavement outside of the roundabout will have concrete base repairs and asphalt resurfacing. New catch basins and storm sewers will also be installed. City Engineer Jenny Zoldak said a landscape architect designed the center of the roundabout. It will feature retaining walls and a few tall pine trees, which encourage drivers to slow down by breaking up their line of sight. "The apron around the center will also be like stamped concrete that will be a different color," she said. "That kind of adds interest and helps delineate things." The contractor is looking to start work in the middle of May, and they will be mindful of the traffic from Applewood Elementary School, Zoldak said. "They must maintain that one-way traffic, and then the detour will be signed locally," she said. "We'll also have detour signs at either end of Pearl (Road) and at (West) 130th Street to try to divert traffic to Center (Road). We're hoping that people will slowly learn to avoid the area." Construction is pending electric and gas utility relocations. Zoldak said the project is estimated to take about six months. "Because the surface will be asphalt, we're kind of at the mercy of weather and seeing how things go," she said. "I would like to think that we could wrap it up this year, but it's possible they'll come in next spring for the final pave." Contact reporter Madisyn Woodring at (330) 721-4049 or mwoodring@medina-gazette.com.