Pictured above is a map outlining roads the City of Marysville hopes to repave this year. In all, the city is aiming to spend about $1.4 million on road-related improvements.
(Image submitted)
––––
Earlier this week, the Marysville Finance Committee went over early plans for this year’s paving project.
The finance committee discussed allocating an additional $638,000 for the program. About $300,000 is already available for road repairs, which would pay for improvements to an alley from South Maple Street, Taylor Avenue, Quail Hollow Drive and Wedgewood Drive.
The $638,000 would go toward repairing parts of Buckeye Street, Dove Street, Wedgewood Court, an alley from Court Street to East Fifth Street, Emmaus Road, County Home Road, Poppy Lane, Pepper Lane, Fairway Drive, Terrace Drive and Damascus Road.
The committee also discussed some related projects. Capital spending on West Fifth Street and South Plum Street improvements comes to about $256,000. Water line repairs on Mulberry Street, West Eighth Street, West Third Street and North Plum Street come to $240,000.
Altogether, these projects will cost an about $1.4 million and account for about four miles – and just over four percent – of the city’s roads.
Public Service Director Mike Andrako said this plan is in line with the roughly $1.5 million the city spends on paving each year.
“We’re pretty comfortable with the ($638,000),” Andrako said. “It gets us exactly where we need to be.”
Officials highlighted work to be done on Creekview Drive, which will include “bump-outs,” or curb extensions, to help calm traffic in the area of Northwood Elementary School. Officials said the project would both shorten the pedestrian crosswalk in the area and slow down traffic.
“It’s something that the schools are pretty excited about,” said City Project Manager Marc Dilsaver.
Andrako said the city installed one on Mill Wood Boulevard two years ago and got positive responses from the schools.
“Now that they’ve seen it and how effective they are at slowing traffic down … they really like it, and they want to see more of them near schools,” Andrako said. “If we’re about to put a couple bump-outs on Creekview eventually, I think that’s really going to keep the speeds down.”
Committee member Henk Berbee asked Dilsaver how much of the city’s road network is rated “poor” now. Berbee said, years ago when the city started to seriously look at the quality of its roads, a significant percentage was poor.
Officials said the roads have improved significantly. Andrako said 2013 had 13 percent of city streets being poor, while this year that number is down to 7.6 percent.
Berbee said he’s glad the city is continuing its efforts to improve its roadways.
Finance Director Justin Nahvi said the ordinance to allow the $638,000 allocation will be at the next Marysville City Council meeting Jan. 28. Officials said council should try to get that legislation through as soon as possible, since earlier bids get lower prices.
Andrako noted that last year, the city was able to get its bid for the projects out earlier last year, which he said helped the city save money.
“I think the soonest we could get it out, we could advertise it in February and have the bid opening in March, and we could get better prices,” Andrako said.