Paving and traffic signal improvements in downtown Ironton have been completed.

The $1.4 million project only cost the city $20,000 over three years.

“The way it looks exceeded my expectations really,” Ironton mayor Rich Blankenship, said. “It’s hard to believe how much new blacktop on the street and new traffic signals and poles improved the overall appearance of downtown.”

One lingering issue for Blankenship is the flags of famous Irontonians that were on the old poles and taken down during the project. He plans to put the flags back up, but before doing so is asking for the public’s input.

“We are going to put them back up, but whether we want to put them on the new poles is the question,” he said. “If it is decided to not put them back on the poles, then the question is where do we put them. Instead of just putting them back up where they were we need to wait and make the best choice.”

Residents who routinely travel downtown area may notice an increased brightness in the lights because they contain light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs.

“We are getting ready to put LED bulbs in our acorn lights in town,” Blankenship said. “They are brighter and are white instead of yellow. They just look better and serve a better purpose.”

Forty LED bulbs have been ordered so far for the acorn lights, Blankenship said, and eventually the bulbs in all 140 will be replaced.

“They not only look better,” he said. “They last longer and are more energy efficient.”