By CARL E. FEATHER - Staff Writer - cfeather@starbeacon.com
JEFFERSON — A substantial list of Ohio Public Works projects submitted for Ashtabula County has cleared the district-level committee selection process and are on their way to being included in the next round of state funding.
The list of approved projects was prioritized for funding by the Ohio Department of Transportation District 7 OPW Integrating and Executive committees, which met last week. Counties in ODOT District 7 include Ashtabula, Geauga, Lake and Portage counties. Commissioner Daniel Claypool and county engineer Tim Martin represented Ashtabula County at the meeting, which netted 18 projects for the county.
Martin said preapplications were filed in June and ranked locally. The state advises each district of the amount of money that will be provided, and committee members take the top-ranking projects from each county.
Entities that submitted projects that have been approved now must complete full applications. Otherwise, Martin said it’s 99.99 percent certain the projects will be funded. The money comes from two sources: issue bonds and gasoline taxes.
County projects to be funded by the gasoline tax are:
n Geneva — Chestnut Street culvert replacement project, estimated at $90,000 with a 50 percent local match;
n Rock Creek — Phase 2 of Jefferson Street road project, estimate $121,300 with a 40 percent local match;
n Harpersfield Township — Barnum Road, phase 2, estimate $199,000 and a 50 percent local match;
n Andover Township — Gibbs Road storm drain, estimate $90,000 and 50 percent match;
n Saybrook Township — Wade Avenue improvements, $480,000 road project with a 50 percent local match;
n Geneva-on-the-Lake — University Drive rehabilitation, $125,900 road project with 50 percent local match; and
n Replacement of the Austinburg Road bridge over the Western Reserve Greenway Trail. This $700,000 project will be funded by federal stimulus money originally awarded for Wade Avenue work. The federal money will provide the 50 percent match to remove the aged bridge and replace it with a box culvert.
Projects funded by the Issue One bonds are:
n Conneaut — Replace the Creek Road water tank, estimated at $945,000. The state grant would be $322,500 with $150,000 loan and 50 percent local match;
n Geneva-on-the-Lake — Wastewater treatment plant sludge filter press, $480,000 project with 40 percent local match and $150,000 in loan funds;
n Roaming Shores — Phase one of the Morning Star Drive project, $270,000 with 50 percent local match and $50,000 in loan funds;
n Andover — Sewer main rehab, phase 3 — $116,000 with a $70,300 grant and 39.4 percent local match;
n Jefferson — West Mulberry Street improvements, $220,000, entire amount funded with a loan;
n Geneva — Ansel Road sanitary sewers and waterline replacement, $230,500, entire amount funded by loan;
n Geneva — West Liberty sanitary sewer, $52,000, entire amount from a loan;
n Trumbull Township — State Road, $100,000, entire amount from a loan;
n Andover — Depot Street, Morley Avenue, Ohio Avenue and Station Street water main and pavement, $225,000, entire amount covered by a loan; and
n Ashtabula — West 30th Street sanitary sewer improvements, $641,000, with a 50 percent local match.
