City Awards Contracts for Wick Avenue Upgrade

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Work should begin sometime in the next month on the year-long upgrade to Wick Avenue.

Meeting Thursday, the Youngstown Board of Control approved a $4.1 million contract with Marucci & Gaffney Excavating, Youngstown, for the project. Maricci & Gaffney submitted the lowest of six bids, which ranged up to $6.7 million.

The engineer’s estimate for the work was $5.3 million, said Charles T. Shasho, the city’s deputy director of public works.

The board also approved a $30,095 contract with Professional Service Industries Inc., Girard, to provide construction materials testing services through the Wick reconstruction project.

The Wick project will involve repaving Wick between McGuffey Avenue and Wood Street and more extensive work between the Madison Avenue Expressway and Rayen Avenue that Shasho calls “the meat of the project.” That will include shifting utility lines underground, replacing the sanitary sewer and water lines, and reducing the number of lanes from four to three.

The intent is to start work on the 365-day contract by the end of summer. Classes begin at Youngstown State University, which Wick runs along, in late August.

“We understand that there’s going to be some road closures,” Shasho said. “The end result is going to be a fantastic project that’s going to enhance the whole areas of the university and the downtown.” The work “sounds a lot worse than it’s going to be,” he said.

The contractor will be required to maintain access to institutions along Wick such as the Butler Institute of American Art and the Public Library of Youngstown & Mahoning County’s Main Library, he added.

In addition, the board approved entering into project grant agreements with the Ohio Public Works Commission for the North Meridian Road improvement project and the South Avenue resurfacing project. The city accepted nearly $1.2 million in state improvement funds for the North Meridian Work and $270,281 for the South Avenue work.

“South Avenue is underway even as we speak,” Shasho said. The city is still waiting for a railroad agreement to get started with North Meridian and expects to go out to bid for that work in a month.

The board also approved accepting $75,000 in Community Development Block grant funds for beautification and revitalization efforts along South Avenue.

The money will be used to beautify eight vacant lots along the corridor, said Sean McKinney, city building and grounds commissioner.

Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.