Youngstown council approves moving ahead with work to Meridian Road

By David Skolnick

skolnick@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

City council approved the spending of up to $4.1 million for a Meridian Road improvement project with the work starting later this month or in early April.

Bids for the work to Meridian Road between Mahoning Avenue and the Interstate 680 ramps will be opened Friday, said Charles Shasho, deputy director of public works for the city.

The project will take about six months to finish, he said.

Council approved the spending Wednesday. It includes $1,714,150 in state grants and $300,000 from Mahoning County.

The rest, up to $2,085,850, is coming from the city with $1,437,189 going toward a waterline replacement.

The project also includes street resurfacing, storm sewer replacement and upgrades to the curbs, Shasho said.

The road has been in bad condition for several years, he said.

The road won’t be closed while the project is ongoing.

This is the first of three phases for Meridian Road between Canfield Road and the Mahoning County line.

The county will take care of the other two phases: Canfield Road to Mahoning Avenue later this year and between the 1-680 ramps to the county line probably next year.

Council also approved legislation to have the board of control seek proposals for about $1.2 million for the neighborhood street resurfacing program.

That work will begin in May or June, Shasho said.

Meanwhile, council approved spending $90,000 from the police department’s civil speed-camera fund and authorizing the board of control to purchase two new police cruisers through the state purchasing program.

The police department has collected $920,961 in civil penalties from those cited for speeding since the camera program began in August 2015.

The department has used part of that money to purchase eight other cruisers, two police dog units and a prisoner-transport vehicle.