Salem mayor announces Pershing Street extension

By D.a. Wilkinson

The extension will allow easier access to State Street stores.

SALEM — Mayor Jerry Wolford ended 2009 by announcing a second east-west corridor in the city.

Wolford announced that the city can get $250,000 from the Ohio Public Works Commission to extend Pershing Street on the east side of the city to Cunningham Road, which runs north and south.

The city can also obtain money from the commission for the project in the form of a $448,000 no-interest loan repayable over 30 years.

The city’s utilities department will also fund water and sewer lines in that area.

The total costs for the extension project will be about $971,000.

East State Street is the major road in the shopping area on the city’s east side.

The extension of Pershing Street will allow easier access to stores on the south side of East State Street. Motorists leaving can turn east, but it can be difficult because of traffic to turn west toward downtown Salem.

Steve Andres, the city’s safety-service director, said he did not immediately know the exact length of the Pershing Street extension.

The proposed access road to the stores from the extension of East Pershing is very close, he said.

Wolford said the project preparation should be ready July 1, and he would like work to start July 2.

In another matter, Wolford said the city can apply to get $75,000 from the Ohio Mid-Eastern Governments Association, which helps communities seek and obtain funding for local projects.

The mayor said the funds could be used to reduce flooding along Allen Road.

The mayor also reminded council of the recent agreement among Columbiana County Engineer Bert Dawson, the county commissioners, Salem’s utilities department and the mayor’s office to work together on waterline extensions. Five county buildings near Lisbon will get Salem water instead of poor-quality well water.

Like Dawson, Wolford said the new lines near Lisbon could lead to economic-development projects.

wilkinson@vindy.com