The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Railways all aboard for road extension
All pieces now are in place to complete the Plaza Boulevard extension in Mentor, but city officials still don’t have the one answer inquiring minds want to know — When will it open?
While the final work still is yet to be full steam ahead, it’s getting closer.
City Council on Feb. 4 approved entering a contract with the second of two railway companies to create at-grade crossings across Norfolk Southern and CSX tracks.
CSX officials are in the process of scheduling the installation of the crossing surface, lights and gates for this spring.
“While work can be impacted by outside factors, such as inclement weather, we are confident that the CSX portion of the work will
be completed by early summer,” said Spokeswoman Gail Lobin. “We will continue working with Mentor city officials to plan for these improvements and are committed to minimizing disruptions for residents and businesses in the community.”
The time required to hammer out agreements with both parties led to a delay in the project’s initial completion date this past September. However, the traffic-relieving project already has been decades in the making.
“I’m sure everyone in this room is anxious to have this project completed since it’s been over 20 years,” Councilman at large Scott J. Marn said prior to the contract vote. “Every time the project’s delayed, it costs the city more and more money in terms of relocation or manpower or supplies, equipment, what have you. Is this normal to have an agreement without some type of due date/timeframe where it has to be completed?”
City Manager Ken Filipiak noted that the agreement is for the city to reimburse the railroads for the work.
“This is not a public project,” he said. “We’re still subject to their normal, internal procedures for construction projects.”
Marn responded, “I’m all in favor, it’s just what can we do to further progress so one day we get to the finish line, whether it’s sending over coffee and donuts, let’s do it so it gets done.”
Law Director Richard A. Hennig, who worked on the agreements, indicated that coordinating with two major companies is no easy task.
The work being done by the city’s contractor, Mentor-based JTO Inc., was begun nearly a year ago and is largely complete.
The project extends Plaza Boulevard 1,700 feet northwest of Route 20 to intersect with Tyler Boulevard via Clover Avenue.
Officials had hoped to have it under way in 2013 after a $900,000 Ohio Public Works Commission grant/ loan enabled the city to move the project two years ahead of the original construction plan. The $2.5 million project also will be paid for with $1 million in tax increment financing revenues and bond funding.
The new roadway is expected to enhance response time for safety forces by linking Fire Station No. 3 to the Tyler business district, and ease traffic congestion at the Route 20 intersections with Route 615 and Route 306.
An attempt to obtain information about Norfolk Southern’s constr uction plans was unsuccessful.