WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio – Beginning Monday, April 3, Gate 19B (National Road gate) will be closed to all inbound and outbound traffic due to construction.
The $1.3 million construction project will feature enhancements that will improve the security of the base and safety of the security forces.
“An overhead canopy similar to the one at Gate 12A will be installed along with six new guard booths. The canopy and new guard booths will provide protection against the weather and potential security threats,” said Walter Lee, 88th Air Base Wing Civil Engineer Group design manager.
To alleviate traffic congestion during the closure, Gate 16B, the gate located by the Wright Brothers Memorial Park on Kaufman Avenue near Route 444, will be open Monday through Friday from 0600-0900, for inbound traffic only.
Gate 1B (Springfield Street) and Gate 22B (Col. Glenn and I-675) are other alternate gates that can be used to enter Area B. Gate 22B will be the temporary 24-hour gate during the construction.
Through the morning peak hours, 0600-0900, Monday through Friday, Gate 1B will be the only gate available for Area B outbound traffic as Gate 22B will be inbound only during that period.
Employees and visitors should anticipate delays during peak travel hours and adjust their travel plans accordingly in the morning, at lunch and in the afternoon.
“Travelers around the construction area are asked to be patient and cautious as heavy equipment will be operating near the area,” Lee said.
Construction is scheduled to be completed on Monday, June 12, at which time Gate 19B will reopen for normal duty hours. Updates during the construction will be provided in the Skywrighter, the Wright-Patterson AFB website at www.wpafb.af.mil and the Wright-Patterson AFB Facebook page at www.facebook.com/WPAFB/.