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Safety upgrade continues in Struthers
By Jeanne Starmack
STRUTHERS
The city is moving forward with a safety upgrade on Runge Boulevard.
The project should start either in the summer or fall, after the Ohio Department of Public Works releases a grant the city was awarded, said Mayor Terry Stocker.
The project will cost $213,000, with the state picking up $146,970 and the city contributing $66,000 from its auto-tax fund and its storm-water management fund, Stocker said.
The grant was awarded last month, he said.
The problems on the road, he said, have been going on for years. Water lies on the road, he said, then backs up. It erodes yards and gets into garages and basements, creating a health hazard.
It’s also unsafe for motorists, he said. Runge Boulevard is a cut-through street between Fifth Street and state Route 616, and also connects to a commercial plaza area, he said.
Stocker said there are nine residences primarily affected.
To solve the problem, the road surface, storm-water catch basins and storm sewers will be lowered.
The project area is from Route 616 to Hamilton Boulevard in the Third Ward.
City council passed legislation at its Nov. 24 meeting that indicates the city is behind the project and has the matching funds. Stocker said the state required that legislation.