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MOUNT VERNON — A Knox Pages reader wondered when Yauger Road will be paved. However, he did not specify which section of Yauger he was asking about.
Yauger is a Monroe Township road east of Upper Gilchrist Road. The city maintains the road west of Upper Gilchrist.
Township Trustee Wayne Zollars reports, “Yauger Road is not on our radar for this summer.”
City Engineer Brian Ball said plans are underway on the city’s end.
“As we look at our pavement cycle and pavement rating, we are seeing cracking and degradation at Yauger Road and Upper Gilchrist south to Yauger,” Ball said.
“A couple of years ago, it was slated to be paved in 2024. We’ve had the schedule change as we learn more about our underground utilities.”
City crews rebuilt the catch basins in 2023 in preparation for 2024 paving. The city did not do a camera inspection of water or stormwater lines because the imaging companies were tied up with Intel.
When a company became available, it discovered a section of collapsed stormwater pipe around 1575 Yauger Road.
“There were no surface problems, so we wouldn’t have known about it if we didn’t camera it,” Ball said.
At this point, the city is evaluating resurfacing the road, reconstructing the curb and gutter, and rehabilitating the stormwater pipe.
The city will design the project this year but wants to meet with the pipe manufacturer first.
“We’re not sure what went wrong,” Ball explained. “Was it the construction method or material? Should we replace it with the same material or something heavier duty?”
Ball said construction might start in late 2024 but will likely be in 2025. The city will use Coshocton Avenue TIF (Tax Increment Financing) money to pay for the project.
Yauger Road Knox Technical Center
The project affects the Knox Technical Center.
The KTC planned to use Covid funds to buy a public safety training tower. It also planned to build a storage barn for a fire truck and EMT squad donated for training.
The tower and barn were to go in the side yard to the west of the KTC.
Knox County Career Center Superintendent Kathy Greenich said the city denied building permits because of the Knox Cattle Dam lawsuit.
“The city would not let us move forward because of a water drainage pipe that moves water from the north side of Yauger Road across the road to the retention pond associated with the dam,” explained Greenich via email. “The pipe brings water from our property, the real estate office, and further up the hill toward Upper Gilchrest.”
Ball confirmed that no impervious area can be added while the judge decides the lawsuit.
The KCCC asked The Kleingers Group to survey and engineer a design to retain and divert water from the cattle dam area.
“The survey and engineering showed that the back part of our property already flows to the north, so we can build the barn there and place the training tower there also,” Greenich said.
However, for the KTC to use the side yard, the drainage area in front of the center must be reconfigured.
The city has agreed to make the reconfiguration part of the Yauger Road reconstruction project.
Greenich said KTC’s plans have been delayed for more than a year.
“We really need to move forward,” she said. “We have incurred the cost of The Kleingers Group and costs associated with delays in the projects.
“As a public school district, we are very cognizant and intentional in utilizing our funds wisely and prudently.”
