MEDINA – Expect to encounter delays on U.S. Route 42 in the city (North Court Street) and in Medina Township (Pearl Road) as crews continue work on widening the road over the next two years.
Water line replacements began a few weeks ago and will continue, weather permitting, in the area of North Court Street at the intersections of Harding Street, Highland Drive, Forest Meadows Drive, Northland Drive and Reagan Parkway, according to Crystal Neelon, public information officer for Ohio Department of Transportation’s District 3, which is managing the project.
Other work includes placing temporary concrete pavement over water line trenches (on U.S. 42 heading south following the water line placement), as well as storm sewer trench work (north end of the project).
During these replacements, there will be temporary lane closures as work continues. Other work that will follow will include placing temporary storm sewer tie-ins (late 2016/early 2017), continuing to place storm sewers throughout project limits where possible in order to get ahead, and placing temporary signals in preparation for the widening on the east side of North Court Street.
The project is part of a larger $17 million project that will widen the roadway from south of Harding Street to just north of Fenn Road in Medina Township, which is about 1.4 miles in length. This will include installing two through lanes in each direction with left turn lanes at side road intersections. The project is scheduled to be completed in October 2018.
A center median in the Medina city limits with lighting, a 10-foot sidewalk on the west side of the road and 5 feet on the east side will also be part of the project, according to ODOT engineers. Storm sewers and traffic signals will also be replaced along the length of the construction area.
The city of Medina has committed to paying $2.86 million towards the project, including $1.1 million for the portion of the work being completed in the city along with an additional $1.6 million for the water line replacements, said City Engineer Pat Patton. City officials have also agreed to pay ODOT an additional $127,900 to upgrade the proposed street lighting on North Court from what the agency would have paid for. Council considered paying for upgraded traffic signal poles, but decided against it.
This summer, the road in the area of the Fenn and Pearl roads intersection north of the current project was widened as part of a $3.5 million project.
West Smith Road
Patton said the West Smith Road reconstruction project remains on schedule, with the road remaining open to westbound traffic only.
The road was completely closed just before Thanksgiving to install a culvert near the County Sanitary Engineer’s Office, which is completed.
The project started in November and will be completed in July, Patton said. The project cost is around $3.4 million, but the city received around $1.1 million in grants, with the city paying around $2.2 million in all.