PREPARE FOR DELAYS

By Denise Dick

ODOT plans busy $180M summer construction season.

A project to widen a portion of U.S. Route 224 with the addition of right-turn lanes from east of Boardman Park to just west of South Avenue is expected to alleviate congestion through the busy South intersection.

The $5.8 million project, expected to begin within the next several weeks, is part of nearly $180 million in Mahoning Valley construction projects planned this year by the Ohio Department of Transportation District 4, which includes both Mahoning and Trumbull counties.

The department has announced its list of ongoing and upcoming 2009 projects. The breakdown is $150 million, $34 million of it new projects, for Mahoning County; and nearly $30 million, about $17 million of it new, for projects in Trumbull County.

The latest construction projects aren’t part of the federal stimulus package.

“These are projects that ODOT already had planned,” said Justin Chesnic, an ODOT District 4 spokesman.

Dual turn lanes also will be added on Route 224, facilitating turns from 224 to South. The project also includes improvements to 15 traffic signals from Parkside Drive to Tiffany Boulevard.

“It’s to alleviate congestion at that busy intersection,” Chesnic said.

The contract for this project is to be awarded this month, with completion set for November 2010.

Two lanes of traffic will be maintained in each direction during construction, Chesnic said.

Some businesses near the planned project believe it will be a benefit when completed.

“I think it could alleviate some of the accidents at Tiffany South and 224,” said Jason Pridon, manager of Muscle Connection in the Tiffany Square Plaza along Route 224.

Ben Catullo, a member of the family that owns Catullo Prime Meats, Tiffany Boulevard, said though it may make it more difficult to get in and out of the business during construction, it will improve the intersection by alleviating congestion upon completion.

A smaller project expected to begin within the next several weeks is the $700,000 plan to resurface state Route 170 from Island Drive in Poland Village to Lee Run Road. A minimum of one lane of traffic will be maintained in each direction during construction, which is expected to be done in October.

Tom Duncan, owner of Duncan Bath and Kitchen Center, Route 170, said he’ll be able to work around the construction to get in and out of his business.

“It is going to be inconvenient, but you have to put up with some inconvenience to get something nice,” Duncan said.

The highest price tag in Mahoning County is $17 million for state Route 193 and U.S. Route 422 resurfacing and guardrail replacement in Youngstown.

The contract for the project is expected to be awarded in November, and completion is set for summer 2011.

Work runs on Route 193 from Crescent Street to Route 422, and on Route 422 from Route 193 to Belmont Avenue.

Resurfacing also is planned for Interstate 680 from state Route 11 in Austintown to Steel Street in Youngstown. The contract for the $7.6 million project is to be awarded in October with completion slated for August 2010.

It’s the second part of a project just getting under way to resurface I-680 from west of Route 193 to Route 224 including the 224 ramps. That project cost is about $6.9 million, and it’s expected to be done in September.

The largest new project planned for Trumbull County is the $11 million work on four bridges on state Route 11 in Vienna. The contract is expected to be awarded in November with completion slated for October 2011.

Work on the twin bridges on Route 11 over state Route 82 will include replacement of the existing bridge decks. The Route 11 southbound bridge and the Route 82 eastbound bridge over the Route 11 northbound exit to Route 11’s northbound exit to Route 82 west also are slated for work.

Route 422 in Girard also is set for resurfacing from Interstate 80’s eastbound entrance/exit ramps to the Mahoning County line. The contract for the $2.5 million project is to be awarded in December with completion set for July 2010.

denise_dick@vindy.com

Valley Projects

ODOT District 4

Ohio Department of Transportation District 4, which includes Mahoning and Trumbull counties, announced this month projects planned for this year. Among the work is $34.3 million in upcoming projects in Mahoning County and $29.7 million in upcoming projects for Trumbull County. Major upcoming projects:

Mahoning

v‚äU.S. Route 224, Boardman, $5.8 million: Widening Route 224 with the addition of right-turn lanes from just east of Boardman Park Drive to just west of South Avenue. Dual left-turn lanes also will be added from 224 to South. The project includes improvements to 15 traffic signals from Parkside Drive to Tiffany Boulevard. The contract for the project is to be awarded this month, and completion is set for November 2010.

v‚äInterstate 680, Youngstown and Austintown, $7.6 million: Resurfacing of I-680 from state Route 11 to Steel Street. Project also includes minor bridge work. Contract to be awarded in October, and completion is expected in August 2010.

vState Route 170 and 616, village of Poland, $700,000: resurfacing of Route 170 from Island Drive to Lee Run Road. The contract is to be awarded this month, and work is to be done in October.

mahoning

vState Route 193 and U.S. Route 422, Youngstown, $17 million: resurfacing and guardrail replacement of Route 193 from Crescent Street to Route 422 and 422 from Route 193 to Belmont Avenue. The project also includes work on four bridges, Route 193 over Crescent, Route 193 over Rayen Avenue and the railroad, and the two bridges at the Route 193/Route 422 interchange. Contract is to be awarded in November with completion expected in summer 2011.

vWest Fifth Street, Beloit, $300,000: resurfacing of West Fifth from the eastern Sebring corporation limit to state Route 165. The contract for the project, which also includes minor curb and curb ramp replacement, is to be awarded this month. Completion slated for August.

vState Routes 7 and 625 and U.S. Route 62, Youngstown, $1 million: resurfacing of Route 7 from Midlothian Boulevard to Indianola Avenue, Route 625 from Midlothian to Route 62 and 62 from Williamson Avenue to Hadnett Drive. Contract to be awarded in August with completion set for spring 2010.

vState Route 11, Canfield Township, $2.6 million: bridge deck and approach slab replacement on the Route 11 northbound bridge over the Ohio Turnpike. The project also includes structural work. Contract to be awarded in October with completion planned for October 2010.

vRoute 11, Canfield Township, $2.6 million: bridge deck replacement and painting of the Route 11 twin bridges over Indian Run between Route 224 and Western Reserve Road. Contract to be awarded in October with completion planned for October 2010.

Trumbull

vRoute 193, Liberty, $600,000: replacement of a bridge with a box culvert on Route 193 just north of state Route 304. Contract to be awarded in June with completion sent for October.

vRoute 422, Girard, $2.5 million: resurfacing of 422 from the Interstate 80 eastbound entrance/exit ramps to the Mahoning County line. The contract for the project also includes minor widening and sidewalk and curb replacement, to be awarded in December. Completion is set for July 2010.

vRoute 11, Vienna, $11.3 million: bridge work on four bridges. The twin bridges on Route 11 over state Route 82 will include replacement of the existing bridge decks. The Route 11 southbound bridge and the Route 82 eastbound bridge over the Route 11 northbound exit to Route 82 west also are slated for work. Contract to be awarded in November and work finished in October 2011.

vRoute 193, Gustavus, $800,000: bridge replacement of three existing concrete slab bridges with three concrete box culverts on Route 193 between state Route 87 and York Road. Contract to be awarded in October with work completed in August 2010.

vFairport Street, Newton Falls, $800,000: replacement of the Fairport Street bridge over the west branch of the Mahoning River. ODOT expects to award the contract in May with work done in the fall.

vRoute 7 and U.S. 62, Brookfield, Hartford and Hubbard townships, Yankee Lake, $2 million: resurfacing of Route 7 from Route 62 to state Route 305 and 62 at Route 7. The project also includes installation of an overhead flashing signal on Route 7 at Chestnut Ridge Road. Contract to be awarded this month with work done in September.

Source: ODOT District 4