City plots course for street light upgrades

By NATE ELLIS Wednesday March 18, 2015 1:06 PM View Larger

Upper Arlington officials recently contracted with an engineering firm to design street lighting upgrades expected to take place in several parts of the city through 2018.

Over the next several years, the city intends to replace 140 wooden light poles with cast aluminum poles that have light-emitting diode technology officials said will be more efficient than the 1970s-era systems currently in place.

Additionally, the improvement initiative is expected to include the installation of wiring systems within conduits, to provide better excavation protection.

Work to install the new poles and systems is being planned in phases that will occur from this year through 2018.

An initial step was taken March 9 when Upper Arlington City Council unanimously approved a $123,100 contract with GDP Group, which will design the work.

"The preliminary estimate for the construction costs of all the street light improvement projects this project designs is approximately $1.4 million," City Engineer Jackie Thiel said. "A detailed estimate will be provided by GDP Group for each phase as part of the design contract."

Thiel said the street light upgrades are part of Upper Arlington's 10-year plan to address infrastructure needs throughout the city. That plan will be funded, in part, by revenue generated from an income tax increase approved by voters last November that must be directed toward capital improvement projects.

As currently planned, the first phase of the street light improvements would involve replacing lighting bases and underground infrastructure on Kensington Drive, from South Parkway Drive to Westover Road.

Those same upgrades would take place on Southway Drive, from South Parkway to Westover.

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City plots course for street light upgrades