ROAD WORK Official is unhappy with quality of project

An ODOT spokeswoman says the department is addressing the concerns.
By DENISE DICK
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
CANFIELD -- City Manager Charles Tieche isn't happy with work done so far on a state resurfacing project.
"If they don't resolve this satisfactorily, this may get to be a big issue," Tieche said.
He's referring to the resurfacing of U.S. Route 62 (North Broad Street) from state Route 446 north to state Route 46; state Route 11 from state Route 14 to just north of Leffingwell Road; and Route 46 from Route 446 north to the Ohio Turnpike.
The pavement is stretched, and the center has holes in it, the city manager said, reviewing photographs taken of the work.
Jennifer Richmond, a spokeswoman for the Ohio Department of Transportation District 4, said the $1.4 million project is ongoing, set for completion in late summer or early fall.
"We're aware of the problem, and we're working with the contractor to make sure everything meets our standards," she said. "We're working to correct it."
Tieche said he was told by the contractor, Shelly Co. of Thornville, that the condition is a symptom of the material used, a fine-graded polymer asphalt.
Richmond said ODOT has been using the material for about two years. It's designed to give a longer life to the roadway and provides a quiet surface for traffic.
Another city's complaint
The city of Hubbard complained of a similar problem last fall with deficiencies in a $1 million state resurfacing project in that city. Hubbard officials had complained that the asphalt compound peeled away from the subsurface of the roadway.
Mayor Arthur Magee said he's still not happy with the quality of that surfacing project of West Liberty Street (state Route 304) from the square to Jacobs Road; East Liberty Street from downtown to the city limits; and North Main Street (state Routes 7 and 62) from the square to the city limits.
"It's a lousy job," Magee said. "It's a lousy job for that kind of money."
ODOT didn't require a maintenance bond from the company though, so the work didn't have to be done to the city's satisfaction, the mayor said.
The city requires contractors bidding on its projects to post performance and maintenance bonds, he said.
"But the state says, 'Oh, you're nice guys; you don't have to have a bond,'" Magee said. "There's no incentive for them to do a good job."
Tieche declined to detail options the city may explore if the issue isn't resolved.
"The long and short of what I told them is that it won't do in Canfield," Tieche said.