NILES Not the end of the road for Robbins Ave.

Final details include installing more permanent markings.
By SHERRI L. SHAULIS
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
NILES -- Looks can sometimes be deceiving.
Although it appears the construction project that included the resurfacing and installation of sidewalks, curbs and driveway approaches on Robbins Avenue is complete, it really isn't.
City Engineer Mark Hess explained that because of some minor work and another walk-through of the project that needs done, it will be sometime in the spring before all the details are wrapped up.
Final details include marking the center turning lane and crosswalks with a material called thermoplastic, which can be applied only to dry surfaces with a temperature of 50 degrees F. Currently the markings are painted on, Hess said.
Resident complaints
During the construction phase, several residents and business owners on Robbins Avenue complained about lack of access, while residents on cross streets often attended council meetings to complain about increased traffic and noise in their neighborhoods. Now that the bulk of construction is complete, other finishing details include addressing areas of sidewalk where water pools up after rainfall.
Hess, along with other city officials and representatives from the engineering firm Thomas Fok and Associates of Youngstown, spent three hours last week walking both sides of the 2-mile stretch of roadway, examining the work to date.
"We had a couple of areas of complaint that we needed to address," Hess said. "We found about four areas of small ponding taking place on the sidewalks."
Hess said those areas did not include the sidewalk in front of First Presbyterian Church. In a letter to city council last week, church officials expressed concern that ponding would create a hazard, especially if the water freezes.
"We gave a copy of that letter and a letter from [Councilman Robert] Marino to the engineers during the walk-through," Hess said.
Engineers will use a survey team to check elevations and inspect that all work was done according to specifications.
Restrictions
Hess said city officials expected some minor areas of ponding because of the engineering restrictions associated with the work.
Traditionally, he said, the goal is to have the roadway surfaced with the top of the curbs elevated 6 inches above the road. Sidewalks are then normally located a few inches above the curb height, which allows water to drain from sidewalks, down over the curbs and to the road.
In the case of Robbins Avenue, however, that didn't always happen. Because driveway approaches were part of the project, the sidewalks needed to maintain level measurements with the approaches.
To meet the standard measurements, Hess said it would have been necessary to dig up the roadway at least a foot deep.
"There was no way the road could have stayed open then," he said. "We would have been forced to close it off, block by block."
Hess said engineers will examine the areas in question and issue an opinion on possible solutions to city officials.
Once the final roadway markings are installed in the spring, the Ohio Department of Transportation will be called in for a final walkthrough before the city can sign off on the project, Hess said.
"Because we used federal dollars on this, ODOT is the ultimate boss," he said.
slshaulis@vindy.com