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Question: U.S. 30 looks great. Now when is the City of Mansfield going to do something about North Main Street between Longview Avenue and the westbound ramp onto U.S. 30? It’s a mess.
MANSFIELD — This short section of North Main Street will be repaired this summer as part of the city’s $4.1 million planned paving program, according to city engineer Bob Bianchi.
He said the Ohio Department of Transportation offers an urban paving program under which it pays to pave U.S. and state routes through municipalities. That would include this section of Main Street.
However, that means such work has to be done on the state’s timetable.
It was last paved by ODOT in 2012 and is now programmed to be done again until 2026 or 2027, according to Bianchi. He said maintenance of the streets is the city’s responsibility between ODOT paving cycles.
However, with significant transverse cracking in the road and displaced “shoved” pavement near the Longview Avenue intersection, the work cannot wait, according to Bianchi, who estimated the effort will cost around $18,800.
“The city has recognized the need to make repairs to this specific section of roadway sooner than ODOT’s project will begin. Repairs to this portion of pavement, north and south, have been included in the city’s 2024 resurfacing program,” Bianchi said.
The engineer’s office will soon seek bids for the annual citywide project, which is funded by the taxpayer-approved “Pothole Haters” municipal income tax.
The quarter-percent tax, approved again in 2021, generates about $3.7 million annually, a fund reserved for improving city streets.
The engineer said the city plans to repave 18.21 miles in the city in 2024.
Bianchi said the sections of North Main Street showing transverse cracking will need to be dug up and replaced.
The displaced pavement in the southbound lanes, caused by heavy truck loads decelerating and accelerating approaching the intersection, will be handled through the paving process.
“The extent of those repairs will go much deeper than than the displaced pavement near the intersection,” he said.
