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Lincoln Avenue, that runs through the Youngstown State University campus, will reopen no later than Dec. 23
YOUNGSTOWN
Lincoln Avenue between Fifth Avenue and Phelps Street, closed since mid-August, will reopen no later than Dec. 23.
There’s an outside chance the road that runs through the Youngstown State University campus could open as early as Thursday – when a ceremonial ribbon-cutting event is scheduled – but that is unlikely, said Charles Shasho, deputy director of the city’s public-works department.
The $1,449,695 project includes paving, sewer improvements, sidewalks, signs, crosswalks, small pedestrian islands at intersections, and removing parking spaces on the north side of the street.
Contractors will need to return for about two days of work when the temperature rises to finish brick work on the sidewalk on the corner of Lincoln and Phelps, Shasho said. The road won’t be closed when that work is done.
The city next month will install about 17 parking meters that will allow motorists to pay with debit and credit cards, he said.
“The project came out well, and we’re happy with the work,” Shasho said. “It’s one step closer to our roadway projects in that area being done.”
Next to the Lincoln Avenue improvements is a significantly larger $4.1 million project on Wick Avenue from Wood Street to the Eastbound Service Road of the Madison Avenue Expressway.
Because of that yearlong project, which started Oct. 3, the city won’t reopen Lincoln Avenue between Phelps and Wick even though work there is finished.
Having both roads closed at the same time has caused traffic headaches and electrical and cable/internet outages at buildings on and near Wick because of work being done as part of that project.
Wick, which is a main corridor to and from YSU, will be under construction until about September 2017, Shasho said.
The road is closed to through traffic with local traffic maintained only in a southbound direction. Traffic is detoured onto Fifth and Andrews avenues.
The project includes moving above-ground utility lines underground, replacing two waterlines with one, replacing a sewer line, installing new traffic lights, reducing the three-lane road to two lanes, with the middle being a turning lane, as well as paving and new signage.