Ironton officials are continuing preparations for one of the largest street paving projects in city history.

Tuesday, March 14, 2000

Ironton officials are continuing preparations for one of the largest street paving projects in city history.

Federal grant funding through the Empowerment Zone and the Surface Transportation Program (STP) will provide for the more than $514,000 project, Ironton Mayor Bob Cleary explained.

STP funding is available for the network of roads and highways that are designated as either emergency routes or alternative routes by the federal government. These routes are put in use if the major transportation routes are closed, city engineer Joe McCallister explained when the project originally began.

A map of the system roads show the eligible routes that are approved by the Federal Highway Administration. From those streets only –  others are ineligible for paving through this grant – the city chose those in the most dire need of repair.

Streets included in the paving project are:

– All of Second Street from the city limits at Hanging Rock to Jefferson Street.

– Sixth Street from Park Avenue to Railroad Street

– Madison Street from Second Street to Campbell Avenue

– Campbell Avenue from Madison Street to Adams Street

– Adams Street from Campbell Avenue to Second Street

– Spruce Street from Third Street to Ninth Street

– Ninth Street from Spruce Street to Maple Street

– Fifth Street from Spruce Street to McGovney Street with the exception of two blocks from Vine to Montgomery streets, which will be repaired and left bricked.

– Lorain Street from Third Street to Sixth Street

– Third Street from the city limits at Coal Grove to the rail crossing near Honeywell Specialty Chemicals

"Any way you slice it, the citizens will still see the biggest paving project in at least 30 years, maybe longer," Ironton City Council and finance committee chairman Jim Tordiff told committee members.

To continue with the project, city officials will receive advice from an outside service due to several public meetings last year during which some residents expressed a desire for North Second Street to remain concrete.

"There has been much controversy over whether to repair the concrete or to pave the road," Cleary said. "We have the money to either repair or pave, but what we wanted to do was to get someone whose profession is actually consulting for highway and street repair to tell us exactly what the pros and cons of both options are, how much it will cost – generally to provide us with information."

Regardless of the city’s decision, residents will see definite improvements to roads this year, Cleary said.

"The project is a $514,000 paving project, which will be completed at no cost to the residents," Cleary said. "Part of the money will be used to mill down the curb areas. You see a lot of streets that have no curbs and everything that we do that does not have a curb will be ground back down and catch basins and curbs restored. We also will keep all the millings to provide for alleys and secondary roads, so the benefits to the residents will be both immediate and long-term."