Fallsnewspress.com - City engineer looking at another busy year

by Steve Wiandt

Reporter

Cuyahoga Falls -- City Engineer Tony Demasi will have another busy year planning and overseeing various improvement projects.

One of those projects is under way in the area of Phelps Avenue and 12th Street. Contractor Cioffi and Sons is installing storm sewers where none existed and replacing existing storm sewers with larger ones, Demasi said.

Existing sanitary sewers are being increased in size from 10 inches to 12 on Jefferson Avenue and 12th Street, he said, and eight 12-inch sanitary lines on 12th Street through Oak Park will be increased to 21 inches.

One sanitary line that runs through Oak Park is going to be eliminated because it's full of roots, Demasi said.

Crews are installing a new 24-inch storm sewer on Phelps Avenue between 12th and 13th streets. This will greatly improve the flow of stormwater off of the roadway. Demasi said residents are "tickled to death" that this is being done because they've seen a lot of basement and roadway floods in the past.

The cost of the project is $337,177, Demasi said, and the completion date is July 31.

Capital improvement projects planned for 2010 include the Cook Street-North Alley storm sewer repairs at an estimated cost of $25,000, Demasi said. Phase two of storm sewer improvements on Chestnut Boulevard are also planned with a possible price tag of $300,000.

Work to improve the storm sewers in the area of Sackett Avenue and Fourth Street will take place this year at an estimated cost of $100,000. A storm sewer drainage study will be conducted at 112 Graham Road for possibly $15,000.

Issaquah Street will also see storm sewer improvements; estimated cost, $100,000. Demasi said in this project drainage pipes will be run through city right-of-ways to Kelsey Creek.

A water line improvement project will take place this year on Taft Avenue for an estimated cost of $180,000, Demasi said. A sewer line in the Gorge will be replaced for an estimated $350,000. This project will change an existing sanitary sewer line along the Cuyahoga River near High Level Bridge from an aerial crossing to an underground crossing.

Chestnut Boulevard sanitary sewer line replacement will take place from Ninth to 12th Street, at a cost of $400,000.

Federal funds sought

In addition to planning capital projects, Demasi said the city is applying for federal funds for projects through the Akron Metropolitan Area Transportation Study (AMATS) program. City Council approved the applications Feb. 8.

The projects are:

* State Road widening. Demasi said that this is basically from Bath Road to Steels Corners Road, but in a larger sense from Graham Road to Quick Road. Having already received $3.7 million in federal funding, he said, the city is asking for another $2.3 million to reach its limit of $6 million. Calling the project "huge," Demasi said it has been in the design stage for the past two years. URS Corporation is the project designer.

* Portage Trail resurfacing from Fourth to 13th Street. The estimated cost is $300,000 and the city is asking for 80 percent reimbursement, or $240,000, said Demasi. This section of Portage Trail was last paved in 1995, he said.

* Howe Avenue-Main Street intersection improvements. This involves extending turn lanes and aligning the intersection to make it safer, said Demasi, adding that side-swiping accidents are common in this area. Estimated cost is $1.6 million, he said, but the city already has a little more than $500,000 in funding. The city is asking for $822,000 in federal money to offset construction costs, Demasi said.

* State Road and Portage Trail improvements. Demasi said this project is related to the proposed Portage Crossing development and will cost an estimated $1.3 million. The city is seeking a little more than $1 million in federal money.

* State Road resurfacing from Quick Road to Seasons Road. This is about 1.6 miles, the city engineer said, and is estimated at $400,000; the city is asking for $320,000.

E-mail: swiandt@recordpub.com

Phone: 330-688-0088 ext. 3141