Rising petroleum costs cut scope of repaving in Ytown

By David Skolnick

YOUNGSTOWN —Rising petroleum prices mean fewer streets in the city will be resurfaced.

The cost of this year’s program, $1,543,186, is about $120,000 more expensive than last year, when more streets were repaved. In 2007, the city had 59 streets repaved, compared to 52 this year.

The blame lies with the cost of petroleum, the key component in asphalt, said Charles Shasho, deputy director of the city’s public works department.

The cost of petroleum increased by about 26 percent from last year. Petroleum is $130 a cubic yard, compared to $103 a cubic yard last year, Shasho said.

The city’s annual street repaving program will begin in late June, and will take up to 75 days to finish, he said.

The city hired the Shelly Co., a Twinsburg company, for the work. That company’s $1,543,186 proposal was less expensive than the only other proposal submitted to the city for the job. That $1,554,690 proposal came from Shelly and Sands, an Akron company.

Read the full story with a list of roads to be repaved in Monday’s Vindicator and on Vindy.com