End in sight for Plaza Boulevard extension

Railroad construction schedules signal opening this year

Mentor officials this week announced news that many motorists have been waiting to hear.

Long-sought railroad work needed to complete the Plaza Boulevard extension project soon is to get rolling, with the road opening likely to follow in the fall.

Mentor City Manager Ken Filipiak gave an update at the April 4 City Council meeting.

“JTO (Inc.) is expected to be finished with their portion of our extension road construction by mid-June,” he said. “CSX is scheduled to begin signal work midJuly and that will last about three weeks. Norfolk Southern plans to begin their signal work immediately, and they anticipate that their work will take about two months.

“So, once all the signal work is completed and livetesting occurs, if everything stays on track, we expect to be able to open the road by somewhere between midSeptember and mid-October, so that’s better news than what we’ve had in a while.”

The project will extend Plaza Boulevard from Route 20 to Tyler Boulevard via Clover Avenue. It has been on the city’s radar since the 1980s as a way to speed safety forces’ access to Tyler as well as ease traffic congestion at Route 20 and Routes 306 and 615.

Officials initially had hoped to have the extension under way in 2013 after being awarded a $900,000 Ohio Public Works Commission grant/loan. The $5 million project also will be paid for with tax increment financing revenues and bond funding.

Preliminary work was started by CSX in 2016 and city leaders had been optimistic that the extension would be open this past fall.

Railroad officials noted the unique nature of the project building a new crossing over two sets of tracks owned by different companies. Both CSX and Norfolk Southern must install and coordinate warning signals at their crossings.

The city is reimbursing the railroads for the work.

Councilman at large Scott Marn shared a story that summed up the saga.

“A woman corners me at Toys R Us … and she says, ‘How long you been on council?’ ” he said. “I said, ‘Since 2000.’ She said, ‘How long’s this road been like this?’ I said, ‘My recollection is about 1998.’ She said, ‘Twenty years and you guys can’t get across the tracks?’ I said, ‘We’re working on it; hopefully this year.’ So that’s great news, I didn’t lie to her.”