MOUNT VERNON — Interim city engineer Quentin Platt updated council members on past, current and projected street projects Monday during a streets and public buildings committee meeting.
The city completed two projects in 2025: Gay Street parking lot and Spice Alley. Contractors completed nine more in 2026.
A bonus project, improving the West Burgess-North Sandusky Street intersection, is under contract.
“With the development of Heartland Commerce Park, there’s a lot of truck traffic that really wants to go down [West Burgess],” Platt said.
“So we’ll be widening that, to happen later this year, and then resurfacing all the way to Greenwood and all the way to the train tracks.”
The estimated cost for the projects, excluding Gay Street, Spice Alley and Burgess, was $1.9 million. Final costs are projected at $2 million.
City reduces 2026 projects to Edgewood Road
Edgewood Road is the lone 2026 project.
“We had a 2026 resurfacing project with several things in it. The way that the finances were shaking out this year because of several other construction projects going on, there’s a lot of uncertainty of whether or not we have the money to do that,” Platt said.
“So we were very hesitant. We didn’t bid it, especially since we were also in the middle of paving for this year.”
Platt said the east side of Edgewood Road is in need of immediate repairs.
The plan is to do a 7-foot-wide mill and fill from Gambier Road /Ohio 229 to Chestnut Street. Workers will complete full-depth pavement repairs in specific spots.
Platt estimates a cost of under $80,000. He said the city hopes to complete the work this year, pending receipt of a contractor’s proposal.
“We’d really like to get it done this winter to prevent any further damage from freeze-thaw over the winter,” he said.
Next year the city will mill both sides of the road and raise the pavement edge to improve drainage.
2026 work also includes the chip seal program on the south side of the city.
Platt said the city moved the rest of the 2026 resurfacing to next year with the hope that it can carry over some appropriated funds to supplement regular 2027 funding.
Mansfield Avenue #1 priority in 2027
2027 plans include nine projects totaling an estimated $3.57 million. All of the projects are in the design stage. Platt said as design work progresses, estimates might come down.
Topping the list is Mansfield Avenue.
“Obviously we’ve been holding off on this one to get all the work done so that we’re not tearing up a brand new road,” Platt said.
Resurfacing will extend from just south of Belmont to the city limits north of Grange Avenue.
Other neighborhood work will include a mill-and-fill and spot repairs on Nash Street and Taylor Road.
Emmett, Decatur, and Marcia drives will get a full-depth replacement with curbs and gutters.
The final 2027 project is resurfacing and redoing curb and gutter Yauger Road.
“So we basically tear up that whole road, put in all the curb and gutter, and then resurface it,” he said. “That would be a nice way, I think, to clean up the cattle dam project after that construction’s done.”
The city applied for a $1.6 million Small City grant from the Ohio Department of Transportation. The grant funds improvements on federal aid routes.
The grant would cover resurfacing projects on the following federal aid routes:
•Edgewood Road.
•Mount Vernon Avenue from Newark Road to Edgewood.
•South Division Street from Mount Vernon Avenue to Martinsburg Road.
•West Chestnut between North Sandusky and Norton streets.
•North Street from West Chestnut to West High Street
Although Platt said the city’s application is good, 24 other applicants also applied for the $12 million budget.
