City announces 2018 road projects

Major road improvements are underway in Painesville.

The city announced a lineup of roads it will repair for the 2018 construction season as part of the city’s five-year plan for road infrastructure improvement.

The roads slated for resurfacing in the coming months are Richmond Street, Walnut Avenue, Pearl Street, Transit Street and design work for West Jackson Street, according to the news release.

“Roads are what is most important to our

city right now,” said City Manager Monica Irelan. “I’m very proud of the investment we are making. There is tangible progress on our road plan, but it is our responsibility to communicate the improvements to everyone. We understand the city has not been the best communicator about the improvements that are happening and look forward to improving on our correspondence with our citizens.”

The largest project set for 2018 is the waterline replacement and resurfacing of Richmond Street, the release also said.

The waterline construction is expected to be completed in June, with ODOT running the resurfacing that is scheduled for completion in the fall. The project will cost about $2.1 million and will be funded by the Water Construction Fund, grants and the road levy.

The final phase of Walnut Avenue, from Levan Drive to Mentor Avenue, also will be completed in 2018 with a total budget of $606,000.

Pearl Street, which received a new waterline in 2017, and Transit Street are budgeted at $185,000 and the design work for resurfacing West Jackson Street is budgeted at $112,000. Jackson Street will be resurfaced

in 2019 using a Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency grant and the Painesville road levy for a combined $1.5 million project.

Road conditions have been a problem for Painesville City over the past decade. Between 2009 and 2013, the city dedicated $1.9 million in total road repairs, which is an average of $393,000 per year. Because of that low investment, road infrastructure became weak and many roads fell into disrepair, the release confirmed.

However, Painesville residents approved a fiveyear levy in 2013 to contribute $3 million of dedicated funding for roads.

Through grants and the five-year plan, the city has completed $8.2 million in road projects over that five-year period, a 316 percent increase in road investment.

City officials are currently working together on a plan for the next five years, 2019 through 2023, to continue the progress on city roads. The plan is expected to be released in June.

“The community is upset with the deterioration of the roads and we are working hard to keep progress moving forward. It’s going to take some time, but over the past five years we have made substantial strides and we are on the path for success for the future,” Council President Paul Hach said.