MAHONING COUNTY Final details in the works for plan to pave roads, construct bridges

The project will also include replacement of two small bridges.
By BOB JACKSON
VINDICATOR COURTHOUSE REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Work should begin in early May on paving 12.5 miles of Mahoning County roads as part of the county's annual summer paving program.
Paving will affect eight townships and will be paid for with revenue from a 0.5 percent county sales tax passed in 1999.
Northern Ohio Paving of Twinsburg submitted the low bid of $693,000 and will be the general contractor, said Marilyn Kenner, chief deputy engineer.
She said terms of the contract are being finalized now, and commissioners will be asked to approve it within a few weeks.
The project also will include replacement of small bridges on Baird Road in Springfield Township and on Crory Road in Canfield Township.
Waterproofing material also will be spread on several bridge decks as part of the project, Kenner said. Waterproofing extends the life of the bridge deck and helps the bridge last longer, she said.
"We started doing that a couple years ago, and it seems to be working very well," Kenner said.
Commissioners' promise
Commissioners set aside a portion of sales-tax revenue each year to pay for road and bridge projects. That was a promise they made to voters while campaigning for the tax in 1999.
Since 2000, about $2.2 million of sales-tax revenue has been used to pave 41 miles of county roads, Kenner said. Those figures include this year's project.
Kenner said the resurfacing will be in addition to 29 miles of road the county will pave later this year as part of its traditional paving program, funded with money from the Ohio Department of Public Works and state Issue 2.
Bids for that work have not been sought yet because the money won't be available until after July 1, Kenner said.
bjackson@vindy.com