Officials OK $4M for infrastructure fixes
Springfield to get many upgrades from streets to sidewalks, water lines.
The city of Springfield has approved $4 million in spending on annual improvements that include paving streets, repairing sidewalks and replacing water lines.
About $2 million will be allocated for the city’s annual street paving program, another $1 million will go towards replacing water lines and about $950,000 will be targeted for sidewalk, curb and gutter repairs.
City commissioners approved entering contracts with A & B
Asphalt Corp. for $2,334,492 for the street paving work and $943,501 for the sidewalk repair related work.
City commissioners approved entering a contract not to exceed $1,028,460 with Kinnison
Excavating, Inc. for the water line work.
The city’s annual street paving program is a result of a pledge by officials to dedicate $2 million each year to pave neighborhood streets.
The majority of this year’s street paving projects will focus on the Kenwood Heights neighborhood in the southeast part of the city, City of Springfield Service Director Chris Moore said.
The water line replacement project will focus on 321 service lines that connect properties to the city’s main water line. That work will be done this year to accommodate street paving that will occur in 2022.
The hope is for work on those
water service lines to start as early as May, said Moore.
“In many cases, water service (lines) that are over 30 years old don’t handle the (paving) process well,” Moore said of the need to replace some of those lines.
The water service project includes work on portions of East Cecil Street, East Cassilly Street, East Madison Avenue, West First, West Second and West Third Streets as well as North Yellow Springs Street.
Funding for the project will come from city revenue related to water services. Plans for the street paving project that will follow those water service line replacements are still being
developed, Moore said.
Work to improve city sidewalks is expected to start in April and be completed in December, Moore said.
That work includes work on sidewalks, curbs and gutters on a number of streets
across the city, Moore said.
It is the responsibility of property owners in the city of Springfield to maintain their curbs and sidewalks, Moore said. The city gives notice to property owners where maintenance is needed.
If property owners choose not to make the repairs, the work is done by the contractor selected by the city and a bill is sent to the property owner.
The contractor will also be making upgrades to curb, sidewalks and gutters that are not the responsibility of individual property owners.
Moore said this is part of an annual program that is conducted by the city. He said some of the funding comes from the city’s permanent improvement fund.
City commissioners authorized entering the contracts with A & B Asphalt and Kinnison Excavating on March 16.
Contact this reporter at 937-701-2336 or email hasan.karim@coxinc.com.