Youngstown signs $3.4M pact to improve Meridian Road

By DAVID SKOLNICK

skolnick@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

The city signed a $3,427,831 contract for a major improvement project to Meridian Road.

The board of control approved the deal Thursday with Marucci & Gaffney Excavating of Youngstown, which submitted the lowest of seven proposals for the project. The cost is about $700,000 less than the city’s estimate for the work.

“The road on both sides is in pretty bad shape,” said Mayor John A. McNally. “Business owners have complained about the condition of the road and are happy it’s getting improved. It’s a main corridor for the city, for Austintown Township and the county as a while.”

The work will start next month and will take about six months to complete, said Charles Shasho, deputy director of public works for the city.

The work being done on Meridian Road is from Mahoning Avenue to the Interstate 680 ramps.

The project includes a waterline replacement, street resurfacing, new storm sewers and curb upgrades, Shasho 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 handle the other two phases – Canfield Road to Mahoning Avenue also this year at an estimated cost of $2.5 million, and between the I-680 ramps to the county line probably next year.

The city project is more expensive than the county’s because Youngstown’s work includes a waterline replacement estimated to cost $1.44 million, Shasho said.