With the Lake White Dam Rehabilitation project moving into the final phase of road work, construction is now set to begin on State Route 552 and Forest Hills Boulevard this week.
S.R. 552 will be closed Friday, May 12th at S.R. 104 for crews from Sunesis Construction to begin reconstructing the routes’ junction. The project will include widening the intersection and adding turn lanes, and along with its closure, Forest Hills Boulevard will be closed at its junction with S.R. 104 for its realignment, as well as for a slide repair.
The Lake White Dam project is a combined effort between ODOT and ODNR to rehabilitate the 4,200-foot earthen dam and improve the adjacent roadways and intersections at Lake White State Park in Pike County. In part, the $31.7 million project calls for improving the dam to ensure regulatory requirements, reinforcing the east bank of S.R. 104, completing the lake drain, armoring the upstream face of the dam with riprap, replacing the existing bridge on S.R. 104, reconstructing the highway by widening S.R. 104 and improving the junctions of S.R. 551, S.R. 552 and Forest Hills Boulevard with S.R. 104.
With the closure of S.R. 552 and the lower, southern, end of Forest Hills Boulevard, thru-traffic will now be routed by way of S.R. 220 at Waverly. S.R. 551 also remains closed between S.R. 104 and Bricker Road, and the state park boat ramp is closed as well. And while the lake has been restored to summer levels, the remaining roadwork is anticipated to be completed in early summer.