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ODOT targets Route 11 potholes
By Denise Dick
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The $12.8M project includes resurfacing and bridge work in Trumbull County.
VIENNA — The Ohio Department of Transportation plans to continue work to improve state Route 11 this year.
The roughly five-mile section in Trumbull County between Niles-Vienna and King-Graves roads, which is pocked with potholes, is set for resurfacing beginning this spring.
“It will be a two-year project,” said Justin Chesnic, a spokesman for ODOT District 4 which includes Trumbull and Mahoning counties.
Decisions regarding resurfacing take into account pavement condition ratings. The section slated for the latest improvement earned a rating in the low 70s with a portion receiving a 68.
As with a traditional grading scale, 100 is the highest mark.
“The project includes work on the four bridges at the Route 11-state Route 82 interchange,” Chesnic said.
The bridges will be redecked.
“Like with other projects involving bridges, they’ll likely do half of the bridges the first year and the other half the next year,” Chesnic said.
Marucci & Gaffney Excavating of Youngstown is the contractor for the $12.8 million project.
Lt. Joe Dragovich, commander of the Ohio State Highway Patrol’s Southington post, doesn’t believe that particular portion of the road has presented problems for his troopers. Still, he welcomes the improvement.
“Any time roads are resurfaced, it makes them easier to drive on, especially if you’re responding,” he said.
A trooper responding to a call, for example, often changes lanes to avoid a bad spot in the road ahead, Dragovich said.
This marks the third year that ODOT has targeted state Route 11 for improvement.
Last year, ODOT completed an $8.8 million project to resurface Route 11 from King Graves Road to south of state Route 5 through Johnston and Fowler townships in Trumbull County. That portion is a main path of travel for Mahoning Valley residents heading to Lake Erie, Ashtabula or Pymatuning State Park.
In 2008, the agency completed a section of Route 11 in Ashtabula city and township and Plymouth Township, all in Ashtabula County.
That $1.9 million preventive maintenance project involved resurfacing of Route 11 from state Route 46 to state Route 531. It started in spring 2008 and wrapped up that August.
“We’re hitting that area pretty good as far as state Route 11 goes,” Chesnic said.
denise_dick@vindy.com