Published April 19, 2009 01:35 am - A $42 million overhaul of Interstate 90 highlights the list of projects the Ohio Department of Transportation is planning for Ashtabula County this year.
I-90 work tops ODOT’s county projects for 2009 $54.5 million will be invested in the area this year
By MARK TODD - Staff Writer - mtodd@starbeacon.com Star Beacon
COLUMBUS — A $42 million overhaul of Interstate 90 highlights the list of projects the Ohio Department of Transportation is planning for Ashtabula County this year.
The project won’t be sold until fall, but ODOT tentatively plans to rip up and replace pavement on the freeway between Route 11 and Route 193/ Route 84, said Justin Chesnic, ODOT District 4 spokesman said. Several bridges along that stretch also will be repaired, he said.
ODOT plans to invest $54.5 million in the county this year, includ-
ing $11 million in projects already under way. The I-90 face-lift accounts for most of the $43.5 million in new money.
I-90 also will see new signs along its length in the county, a project that begins in November and ends in July 2010.
The schedule is heavy on paving projects, Chesnic said. “There’s a lot of good resurfacing jobs spread through the county,” he said.
Other new work set to start this year includes construction of the West Avenue bridge over CSX Railway tracks in Ashtabula ($1.4 million), which should be finished in October; resurfacing of Route 531 in Ashtabula, a $1 million project set to start soon and conclude in September; and installation of new signs along the length of Route 11 in the county ($500,000).
The newcomers join a list of ODOT projects already begun, including:
n Prep work for the West Avenue railroad bridge ($8.9 million);
n Resurfacing of Route 7 in Monroe Township, between Graham Road north to the Conneaut line ($1.3 million), a project that includes culvert replacements between Scribner and Hilldom roads;
n Chip and seal work on Route 86, between Route 534 to the Geauga County line, which will complete a $2.7 million resurfacing project begun last year on Route 534 and Route 322. The project involves portions of Hartsgrove, Williamsfield and Windsor townships;
n Resurfacing on stretches of Route 167 and Route 307 in Denmark, Dorset and Jefferson townships ($1.6 million), which will resume soon and conclude in September; and
n Resurfacing on Route 193, Route 6 and Route 322 ($600,000), which should finish in the fall.
The I-90 project won’t be completed until 2012, Chesnic said. The overhaul will include repairs to four mainline bridges and three overhead bridges, according to ODOT information.