Work began Tuesday on the first stimulus-funded road project in Medina County. Four more road projects and one rail project, all funded by the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act, are set to begin in the county within the next year.
All projects that receive stimulus funding must be marked with a special ARRA sign that reads “Putting America to work.”
Dave Szabo, a civil engineer with the Medina County Highway Engineer’s office, said the first project to begin is a repavement and lane widening of Marks Road in York and Medina townships. Work is expected to finish Oct. 16.
The resurfacing of Marks Road between Fenn and Hamilton roads in York and Medina townships began Tuesday. It is the first road project in the county funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. All ARRA road projects must post this sign at the job site. (Maria Kacik/Gazette)
Szabo explained the project, which will cost about $551,000, was on a list to receive 80 percent federal transportation funding through the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency. The county would have picked up the remaining 20 percent.
“Our (project) was shovel-ready and it got re-funded with ARRA. In fact, it saved us our 20 percent local share,” Szabo said. The project will now be 100 percent funded through the ARRA.
Another project the county has ready — the repaving of Lake Road between Chippewa Road and state Route 162 in Lafayette Township — also will receive 100 percent ARRA funding. That project, set to begin mid-September, will cost about $330,000.
Stimulus funds also will fund a $2.1 million resurfacing next year of more than five miles of Greenwich Road between state Routes 3 and 57 in the Seville, Wadsworth and Guilford townships. That project also is sponsored by NOACA.
Brian Stacy, spokesman for the Ohio Department of Transportation’s District 3, said Medina County is slated to receive funding for three more stimulus transportation projects through the agency.
Replacement of two bridges — one on state Route 301 in Spencer Township and one on state Route 421 in Lodi — is expected to begin next year. In addition, the $950,000 rehabilitation of a city-owned rail line in Medina has been authorized.
Stacy said that out of 202 projects to which ODOT has granted funding throughout the state 25 will be in District 3, which includes Medina, Ashland, Wayne, Lorain and four other neighboring counties.
Contact Maria Kacik at (330) 721-4049 or mkacik@ohio.net.
