Meridian Road Work Gets $400K from State

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – The Ohio State Controlling Board approved $400,000 Monday toward reconstruction of Meridian Road in Youngstown and Austintown.

Work on the project, the first phase of a multi-phase plan to rebuild the roadway, will begin in 2015, according to an announcement from the Youngstown Warren Regional Chamber. The road needs to be substantially rebuilt because of heavy truck traffic along the corridor.

“We are pleased that the state has recognized the significance of the project and the need to rebuild this industrial corridor that is home to nearly 100 businesses,” said Sarah Boyarko, vice president of economic development at the Regional Chamber. “Not only are the conditions of the road affecting their operations, but they could also be deterring potential new businesses from moving in.”

This year, the chamber sought input from companies along the corridor about their concerns. The recent interest of a company to restart a manufacturing facility on Meridian Road also provided the leverage for securing additional funding from the state, based on significant job creation. The chamber, with the city of Youngstown and the Mahoning County Engineer’s office, worked to secure funding for the project through JobsOhio.

Phase One of the project will start at Mahoning Avenue and end north of the I-680 interchange, with work beginning in 2016. The scope of work also will include replacement of a water main that has deteriorated, causing subsurface damage to the roadway.

The initial phase is expected to cost in excess of $3 million. The Ohio Department of Transportation’s Division of Jobs & Commerce also has committed $150,000 toward the work. A majority of the remaining $2.5 million of cost is expected to be funded through the Ohio Public Works Commission, Youngstown Water Department, Mahoning County Engineer and city of Youngstown.

Phase Two — south of Mahoning Avenue to Canfield Road—is slated for 2017. The third phase of the work, from Interstate 680 to the Trumbull County line, is scheduled for 2019. Those phases are budgeted at $2.5 million each.

Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.