Elyria could receive additional $3 million for sewer project

Elyria City Council’s Finance Committee approved legislation Sept. 24 for Mayor Holly Brinda to apply for an additional loan from the Ohio Division of Environmental and Financial Assistance for wastewater projects in the city.

At least $3 million from the Ohio Water Pollution Control Loan is available at zero percent interest for 30 years, said John Schneider, city engineer.

The fund will go toward the city’s East Side Relief Sewer Project that began installing about 35,800 feet of new sewer ranging from 78 inches to 14 inches in diameter in April 2017, Engineer Tim Ujvari has said.

“The sewer will run from the Eastern Heights neighborhood to the Waste Water Pollution Control Plant,” Ujvari said.

Crews are completing the project in phases.

Schneider said the city previously received $13 million after Council authorized the mayor to enter the agreement with the Division of Environmental and Financial Assistance at zero percent toward the long-term control plan for wastewater projects in the city.

Elyria could receive an additional $3 million more to work on the project

“(The Division of Environmental and Financial Assistance) offered it to us, and we’d like to grab it and continue on with our projects and help control some of the costs,” Schneider said.

The city’s engineer department has frequently given updates on the city’s website on progress made.

Several phases of the project are complete.

Contractors are working on getting the roads back to normal, according to the website.

Following phases will include work on waterline, storm drainage, resurfacing and roads in other areas.

Some of these areas are: East Avenue, Abbe Road, state Route 57, Gulf Road, Whitman Boulevard and Vista Court.

The East Avenue project is about complete, the website said.

The roadway is not officially open to through traffic, but the barricades are pulled to the side of the road.

Landscaping work is currently underway in the area.

Most of the projects will continue through November 2018, the website said.