Mangled Meridian Road may get major repairs by summer 2016

AUSTINTOWN

It is no secret Meridian Road is in need of some pavement love.

The hope is by next year a portion of the bumpy, pot hole-riddled and uneven road will get the attention it desperately needs.

Mahoning County and Youngstown plan on applying for funds from the Ohio Public Works Commission to help fund one phase of the project this year. If they receive those funds, the paving project would start in the summer 2016 or later that year.

“These are legacy jobs, and they take a lot of time to develop,” said county Engineer Patrick T. Ginnetti.

Since Ginnetti became engineer nearly three years ago, Meridian Road has been one of his top priorities. It has also been a priority for the city since it maintains Meridian Road from north of Mahoning Avenue to the county line. The county maintains Meridian from Mahoning Avenue south to the Cornersburg area.

Last year, the county commissioners approved a $32,872 agreement with MS Consultants Inc. of Youngstown for an preliminary engineering study, according to The Vindicator files. The study is nearly complete with just the funding and financing portion remaining, Ginnetti said.

This project is more than repaving, however. It includes reconstruction of most of the road, and comes with a hefty cost: an estimated $10 million to $12 million.

“It concerns me to rush through the project,” Ginnetti said. “The key to all of this is funding.”

The state and federal governments would fund the job along with a local share.

The county’s study broke down the Meridian Road project in three phases:

Phase one: County line to Interstate 680, reconstruction, but not as serious as the second phase.

Phase two: I-680 to Mahoning Avenue, major reconstruction of the lanes. This part will be done first because of the road’s deplorable condition.

Phase three: Mahoning Avenue to Cornersburg, mostly a mill-and-fill project with some storm sewer repair and some base repairs.

Charles Shasho, Youngstown’s deputy director of public works, says it seems the road has too much subsurface drainage and that has caused a lot of its problems.

Read the full story Monday in The Vindicator and on Vindy.com.