Road construction begins Tuesday Published Nov. 28, 2006 By Bob Farrell Public Affairs Vance Air Force Base, Okla. -- There is an old saying, "Sometimes you feel worse before you feel better." If so, Vance Air Force Base will be getting well by October 2005, because it's about to feel some pain -- growing pains. If people thought construction was at an all-time high on base, just wait until they see what will be happening off base beginning Tuesday. Team Vance will be feeling the pain of trying to find the best route to and from work for the next three months. As the base continues work on Gott Road, the state and city are preparing for construction to meet the base gate expansion. Cleveland Road at Rupe Road will be closed, as will Southgate Road between Oakwood and South Van Buren, for about 90 days. During this period, the intersection at Southgate and Cleveland will be renovated to accommodate the increased traffic that will result from the Gott Road expansion project. According to Robert Hitt, Director of Development Service for the City of Enid, the state and city will "embark on a three-phase, nine month program to upgrade Southgate and Cleveland roads and to pave a new extension of Gott Road to meet the Vance Air Force Base current extension project. New traffic signals at Southgate and S. Van Buren will be erected. Southgate Road will be expanded to include turning lanes at the entrance to the base." Total construction should be complete by Oct. 1, 2005, Hitt said. The project will enhance security to the base, but it may be hard for base personnel to see the benefits for the next three months. During the project, all base traffic will be required to use Pride Drive and Fox Drive. Those using the Oakwood, Rupe, Cleveland access route will be directed to S. Van Buren via Rupe. During the first phase of the project, all traffic traveling south on US 81 to the base will be routed down Pride Drive. Traffic coming up US 81 from the south may use Wheat Capital Road and enter the base through the south construction gate. This gate will be opened in the mornings from 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m and in the afternoon from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Personnel are reminded that Wheat Capital is a gravel county road and that there is an unprotected railroad crossing to traverse; therefore, additional safety precautions should be taken when using this route. For personnel using the main gate access, as traffic approaches the main gate some vehicles (to include commercial vehicles) will be directed through the main gate, other privately owned vehicles may be directed to use the industrial gate. Although construction will have started on the new Consolidated Logistics Center and normal access via Scott Road will be limited, a temporary gravel access road to Young Road was laid to accommodate POVs using the industrial gate. Cleveland Road is expected to reopen May 1. Until then, everyone is in the same boat. People should allow extra time to get to their destinations, whether it be to the base; to Eisenhower Elementary school; or, downtown to an event (yes, even traffic exiting the base may be affected from time to time).