MAHONING COUNTY Let the road work begin

Green Beaver Road in Green Township will get the biggest face-lift.
By BOB JACKSON
VINDICATOR COURTHOUSE REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Seventeen roads and five bridges are in line for an overhaul as part of Mahoning County's annual road improvement program, Engineer Richard Marsico said.
At least one road in each of the county's 14 townships made the list, which Marsico said was done by design.
"We try to do that every year," he said. "There are a lot of bad roads all over the place. We try to spread this out all over the county."
The project, which began today, includes a 2-inch asphalt overlay on 29 miles of county-maintained roads. Northern Ohio Paving of Twinsburg is the contractor.
The biggest face-lift will be for a 3-mile stretch of Green Beaver Road in Green Township, Marsico said. Portions of Southern Boulevard in Boardman Township and Tippecanoe Road in Canfield Township are among the most heavily traveled roads to be resurfaced.
Marsico said there are several 2-mile projects on the list.
Recent years
Though it's not nearly a record year, Marsico said this summer's is one of the most aggressive paving programs done by his office in recent years. This project, funded by the Ohio Public Works Commission, combined with a smaller program done earlier this year, makes about 42 miles of county roads that will be resurfaced.
The earlier project included about 13 miles and was paid for with money from a county sales tax, which is set aside each year for road projects.
The county set a record in 2001 when it resurfaced 49.5 miles of roadway, breaking the record of 42 miles set in 2000.
Marsico said this year's project will help eliminate potholes and help roads last longer. Part of the goal is to eliminate patching, he said. His office tries to resurface as many roads as possible each year.
Roads to be resurfaced are selected from among the county's 500 miles of roads by surveying road conditions and usage, and with input from road workers and township officials.
Marsico said the $1.7 million project also includes replacing aging culverts on some roads, and waterproofing decks and installing guardrails on bridges on Tippecanoe, Crory, Newton Falls and Berlin Station roads.
Crews also will replace a bridge on Norquest Boulevard in Austintown Township with a four-sided concrete box culvert.
bjackson@vindy.com