MOUNT VERNON — City engineer Brian Ball updated council members on ongoing road construction on Monday, detailing progress on projects, street resurfacing and financial issues shaping next year’s work.
Ball said the 2025 resurfacing projects should all have asphalt except for Venture Drive. Contractors will lay permanent thermoplastic lines when the weather clears.
The preliminary 2026 resurfacing schedule includes six streets. Ball cautioned the list is preliminary and depends on funding.
The city will open bids for the 2026 chip seal program Thursday. Ball said the bids will help determine the 2026 projects.
“We have to be careful on the funding, because there are other things that still have to come out of the asphalt world,” he told council.
Variables include West Sugar Street and realigning Ohio 13.
As part of the Riverside Park revitalization project, neighborhood residents asked for curb and gutter sidewalks on West Sugar Street. That entails pavement work.
“We’re working to design that project and make some tweaks to minimize the cost to the asphalt account,” Ball said.
Additionally, the city does not have a final number from the Ohio Department of Transportation for its cost share for the Ohio 13 realignment.
“Within the next two months, they should give us the number, and we have to put that money on deposit in August of this year to fund the project for construction. We are working to bring that cost down,” Ball said.
The city sent out a bid notice on Saturday for demolishing eight vacant structures tied to the Route 13 project. Ball said the city will demolish as many buildings as possible with the $425,953 federal grant it received, which should reduce the ODOT cost share and potentially free up funds for resurfacing.
Crews working on multiple projects
Council President Bruce Hawkins expressed residents’ concerns related to construction around The Grad and Venture Drive.
Regarding The Grad, Ball said neighborhood residents should have received a door hanger with the contractor’s number. He encouraged residents to call the contractor or check with on-site assistant engineer Jason Epley.
“The contractors are required to help people get back and forth to their homes,” Ball said.
Regarding Venture Drive, although a sign states the sidewalk is closed, Hawkins said there is no sign stating the road is closed.
Ball noted previous signs blew over but said he will check with the contractor. Additionally, the contractor should lay asphalt on Venture Drive this week pending weather conditions.
The Burgess Street project from Sandusky Street to the railroad tracks is under contract and funded. Crews will start prep and sidewalk work soon.
Contractors will soon be at the Mansfield Avenue shared-use path site to fix cracked sidewalk sections, address areas of grass that did not grow, and touch up the temporary line paint.
Crews installed the water line on Hamtramck Street and are working to install the sewer. When they are finished on Hamtramck, they will move to Burgess.
Workers are removing the bricks on Burgess Street. Ball noted that Burgess Street includes underground stormwater, wastewater and water work that involves more construction than on Hamtramck.
“Once they move to Burgess Street within the next couple of weeks, the concrete crew will move into Hamtramck Street,” he said.
“They will be doing probably the curbs first, then either sidewalk or road base next. You’ll really start to see a difference once we get the concrete crease in.”
ODOT repairs on Dry Creek bridge
ODOT is waiting on gaskets required for the Dry Creek bridge repair project. The agency must give the city two weeks notice when the project will start.
Ball said that during construction, the city will maintain traffic on the inner two lanes. Only the outer two lanes adjacent to the sidewalks will close.
Grant application aims to ease funding for resurfacing projects
The city is preparing an application for a Small City grant, a move that could bring up to $2 million for street resurfacing.
The city has previously received the grant and typically puts it toward a construction project. However, the state allows municipalities to put it toward paving federal aid routes.
Eligible city routes include Mount Vernon Avenue, South Division Street, and Mansfield Avenue as well as state routes.
“We can use that as a catch-up [to our paving schedule] because we can get $2 million toward an urban paving program on those routes,” Ball said.
For example, the city could repair the section of North Sandusky Street north of Chestnut while waiting for ODOT to pave it.
In its legislative session, the council waived the three readings and approved applying for the grant.
