As the school year came to an end, students were faced with the challenge of making it to school on time with the road construction on Wilson Mills Road.

Mayor of Highland Heights Chuck Brunello is fully aware of the construction progress and effects. He said, “The construction unfortunately caused a lot of traffic because it caused two lanes to close. The construction mainly affects those going and leaving the high school.”

Because this project causes some problems in the community, local officials want it done as soon as possible. Brunello said, “We are hoping to finish the construction by August. We have to deal with the traffic for a couple more months, and then we won’t have to worry about it anymore.”

The finished road will look fresh and smooth without any potholes. Brunello said, “We hope to get all of the road done very soon, so there won’t be any problems for our drivers. It will give a good look to the city seeing a fresh new road.”

However, Brunello admits there have been a lot of unhappy residents and community members as a result of the road project.  He said, ‘The complaints we received are mainly about the traffic that is caused by the construction. Many complain about having to take different routes to school and work.

“People have to leave earlier if they want to get to their destination in time because of the traffic that builds up,” Brunello said. “Sometimes they have to take different routes.”

Rising junior Max Bremec is one frustrated local driver. He said, “The construction is a big problem in the community because it backs up everyone into just two lanes from when it was four lanes. The construction makes it very hard for me to get around town, [so] I have to find new routes to get places faster.”

Having to redo a road can be very pricey, as this project totals approximately $450,000. Brunello said, “The construction is worth the price because the road has needed to be redone for a long time now.”

The timing of the project was also a conflict, as construction crews have already been at the high school to expand the Innovation Center and to create the new entrance. Brunello said, “We want to finish the project in the warm weather. School [is] out and will only be affected by this for a couple of weeks [at the start of next school year].”

Bremec admits he’s been annoyed by all the construction because it slows everyone down on the road. He said, “It takes me double the time to get places when there is construction to when there isn’t.”

But now that summer break has arrived and there won’t be the busy traffic around the high school, Bremec hopes drivers will be more accepting of the Wilson Mills construction zone.  He said, “I think it’s going to be so long we will all be able to adapt to it and get used to it where we get around it more efficiently as time goes on.”

For the latest information, visit the city’s news website.