The city of Delaware is planning to extend two roadways in an attempt to alleviate traffic congestion in the growing city.
The city is planning to extend Merrick Boulevard from Cambridge Road east to Troy Road, and Byxbe Parkway from Bowtown Road south to U.S. 36/State Route 37 at Glenn Road, according to legislation before Delaware City Council.
The city and Delaware County have long planned for an east-west thoroughfare in the area where Merrick Boulevard is today, as joint city and county plans going back to the 1960s reference building such a road, city officials said during the City Council’s Oct. 27 meeting.
The city is considering legislation to approve $1 million in bonds for right-of-way acquisition for the Byxbe Parkway project, and $8.5 million in bonds for construction of the Merrick Boulevard project, the legislation shows. Council is expected to vote on the two ordinances during its next meeting on Nov. 10.
The city plans to start construction on the Merrick Boulevard extension in late winter and have the project completed in summer 2026, City Engineer Jonathan Owen said during the Oct. 27 meeting.
The city will pay off the bonds with funds from economic development tools, such as Tax Increment Financing and a New Community Authority, that are used to fund infrastructure improvements, City Finance Director Rob Alger told council members.
Generally, tax increment financing, or TIF, uses the incremental increase in property tax revenue generated by new development in a designated area to pay for public improvements, such as roads or utilities. New community authorities, or NCA, levy a charge on properties within a specific area and then use that revenue to pay for improvements to roads, utilities, parks and public spaces.
The city’s extension of Merrick Boulevard comes as property owners are annexing 175.79 acres north of Merrick Boulevard, east of White Elm and Marblewood drives, and west of Troy Road into the city. While no plans have been proposed yet for the site, Delaware’s 2021 comprehensive plan anticipates the area as suburban residential, which allows for a variety of use types, including single-family home neighborhoods and multi-family complexes, The Dispatch previously reported.
Delaware County will construct the Byxbe Parkway extension and will be paying for the work, Owen said.
The Byxbe Parkway extension is estimated to cost $6 million, including purchasing additional right-of-way and construction, Delaware County Chief Deputy Engineer Robert Riley told The Dispatch via email Oct. 30.
The project schedule depends on how long it takes to buy the land needed, Riley wrote, but the county expects the 18-month project will start in late 2026 and tentatively be completed by mid-2028.
At a later point, the city intends to create a NCA New that will reimburse the city for it’s $1 million contribution to the Byxbe Parkway project, as well as fund an eventual extension of Byxbe Parkway north from where it currently ends at Kilbourne Road to U.S. Route 42, another staff member told council.
Delaware County and eastern Columbus suburbs reporter Maria DeVito can be reached at mdevito@dispatch.com and @mariadevito13.dispatch.com on Bluesky and @MariaDeVito13 on X.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: City of Delaware planning to extend Merrick Boulevard, Byxbe Parkway to alleviate traffic
Reporting by Maria DeVito, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
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