MOUNT VERNON — A $3.3 million grant will help the city reduce traffic congestion and improve safety by rerouting State Route 13 as it moves through the city.
The grant is part of nearly $4 million in TRAC funding (Transportation Review Advisory Council) the Ohio Department of Transportation awarded on Wednesday.
City Engineer Brian Ball and Councilman Mel Severns presented the application to ODOT.
“We got exactly what we asked for, $3.3 million. City council appropriated matching funds and funds for consulting that will go to help make this happen,” Ball said.
The project involves widening the Sandusky Street/Phillips Drive corridor and making it a two-way connector between West High Street and South Main Street. Northbound traffic will then be rerouted from Gay Street and Public Square onto Sandusky.
“This grant is for what is called the right-of-way subphase of the project,” Ball explained. “We would be looking at real estate acquisition and utility relocation, those aspects of the project.”
The money becomes available in July 2024. The city has a three-year window — through July 2027 — to use the funds.
“Our goal would be to do it in two years because we need to be working toward actually building it. Most everyone knows this is coming, and more than half of the real estate is already acquired,” Ball said.
“For the folks who want to stay in business and relocate, we are working really hard to get them an equivalent or better spot in town.”
Ball said the city is also looking at improving and widening the walkway on the south and west sides of the roadway.
“We want to make sure when we build this we’re making space for pedestrians, bikes, strollers, even electric scooters, including a raised curb to separate them from traffic,” he said.
“There is a lot of stuff still to be worked out. People should remember that the design is not done. There are a lot of considerations for the businesses that will be affected by this.”
The current total estimated cost is just shy of $10 million.
The city is applying for between $2 million and $2.5 million through ODOT’s Small Cities Program. If approved, that grant money will go toward construction costs.
Ball said the fundamental purpose of the project is to get pass-through traffic off Gay Street and Public Square but still have a viable downtown.
“We are not building an outerbelt. You will still be close to downtown, but the semi-truck drivers don’t want to drive through a major pedestrian area. It will reduce the number of intersections that customers have to pass through, thereby improving safety,” he said.
“The downtown can be frustrating for people passing through. It will shorten the length of Route 13, which is pretty rare that you can actually do that. At the end of the day, we will still have a business corridor and traffic will flow better.”
The idea of rerouting State Route 13 goes back to 1999. Ball credits former Mayor Richard Mavis for keeping the concept alive and Mayor Matt Starr for “carrying the torch and making this a priority.”
“We are very fortunate to see a project carry over between two mayors,” he said, adding that the project will improve things for the coming of Intel.
Ball also commended the help of state and federal representatives, including Ohio Sen. Andy Brenner, former Ohio Rep. Rick Carfagna, and U.S. Reps. Bob Gibbs and Troy Balderson.
“We’re working with all levels of government to bring home tax money to the taxpayers of Mount Vernon,” he said.
