OATS Phase V to connect Talawanda middle and high school

The Oxford Area Trails System (OATS) will now connect Talawanda High School and Talawanda Middle School to several other locations around Oxford as part of Phase V.

There are six phases in total for OATS, for which construction began in 2017 with Phase I.

As of the city’s September report, OATS Phase V is officially underway, clearing land and grading and installing drainage structures. 

City Manager Douglas Elliott told the Oxford Free Press that Phase V will include the installation of a path between the portion of OATS which currently ends at Talawanda High School, and the portion currently ending in front of the Western Knolls subdivision.

According to the city’s September report, OATS Phase V, when completed, will connect the two schools and include a northern spur connecting to Chestnut and Main streets, Chestnut Fields multi-modal area and a planned Amtrak rail platform for which construction is currently slated for the summer of 2026. 

According to the OATS website, the Phase V path will cross the railroad tracks over a bridge south of Peffer Park. It will also cross Kehr Road, pass through the Cobblestone Community Church property and continue behind Dana Drive to connect to previously built sections of the trail.  

According to the website, Phase V of the trails will remedy many of the water drainage issues on the field adjacent to Gardenia Drive. 

There will be no parking at the trail heads. The trails can be primarily accessed through Peffer Park, DeWitt Cabin parking and Oxford Community Park. 

Assistant City Manager Jessica Greene told the Oxford Free Press the city is anticipating substantial completion of Phase V to be in early 2027.

Elliott said of current construction on Phase V, “They have some good weather, so they're really getting a lot done.”

According to the September report, Phase V will also include three steel bridges.

The City of Oxford approved a contract with Brumbaugh Construction for an estimated $5.4 million for OATS Phase V on June 3. Grants won by the city are covering approximately $3 million of the cost. According to the OATS website, the remaining amount will come from the Oxford Area Trail Levy. 

The city said in its September report that Phase VI will include a connection from Oxford Community Park to the Black Covered Bridge. The city is applying for engineering and construction grants for Phase VI. 

Elliott said of OATS, “We get a lot of compliments about this project from folks that use the trail. It's really well received by the community.”