Pickerington city officials are eyeing a more than $550,000 project to reconstruct a "K-type" intersection of Center Street, Milnor Road and Meadows Boulevard.

Pickerington City Council on July 17 unanimously passed the first reading of legislation to contract for the redesign of the Center-Milnor-Meadows intersection.

According to City Engineer Greg Bachman, the work is needed to improve safety at the intersection by reducing confusion among motorists.

"The existing intersection is not ideal," he said. "It is confusing to drivers on who has the right of way during various turning movements, particularly for drivers on Milnor Drive and on Meadows Boulevard exiting onto Center Street.

"Also, the hill on Center Street limits visibility."

Bachman referred to the current intersection alignment as a "K-type" intersection because the Milnor and Meadows side roads come in from one side of Center, making the road arrangement appear like a "K."

Under the legislation before council, which is slated for a second reading on Aug. 7, the city would pay Newark, Ohio-based Jobes Henderson & Associates Inc. up to $133,215 to redesign the intersection.

Bachman, however, estimated the actual cost of the design work could be closer to $115,000.

"There are currently two alternates," he said. "Alternate A separates Milnor and Meadows by about 100 feet, leaving two 'T' intersections with Center Street.

"Alternate B turns Meadows into a cul-de-sac, leaving one 'T' intersection at Milnor and Center."

Bachman said there will be public meetings to discuss the alternates and time for public input before detailed design work is done.

Once a design is determined, the city then would have to bid the actual construction of the project. Bachman estimated the construction would cost approximately $450,000.

"Construction would be in 2015 or 2016, depending on the availability of the funding," he said. "The work would take one construction season, (possibly) March to October.

"There will be some lane restrictions and short-term street closures. Details are dependent on the final alternate and detailed design."

Whenever the work is completed, Bachman said, the realigned or altered intersection would improve both safety and traffic flow.

In either alternate, he said, a northbound Center Street left turn lane would be added and the hill on Center Street would be reduced.

Council Vice President Jeff Fix said the work is needed and the design contract represents the first step in that process.

"This is the start of the work on the crazy intersection . . . getting the design work down so we know what we need to do to fix it," he said.