MANSFIELD — Park Avenue East is about to be made wider.
The Mansfield Board of Control approved plans Tuesday morning to widen a portion of the south side of Park Avenue East — from Diamond Street to Franklin Avenue — along the front lawn of the Richland County Courthouse.
The work is “essentially” part of the broader Main Street Corridor Improvement Project, said city engineer Bob Bianchi, which is still on track to be completed by the end of October.
“We were required to do this (widening) locally, this portion,” he said.
The road will be widened by about three feet to allow for a dedicated turn lane for drivers traveling west on Park Avenue East turning left onto Diamond Street to travel southbound.
“If you’re headed west on Park Avenue and want to turn left onto Diamond to go southbound, that’s the lane we’re providing as part of this project,” the city engineer said.
Widening this portion of the road is anticipated to encroach about 2.5 feet into the grassy area in front of the county courthouse.
Bianchi said county officials are aware of the work and no trees along the front of the lawn will be disturbed during construction.
Project to be funded through permissive sales tax
Bianchi said the city solicited a quote from Smith Paving, the same subcontractor currently completing concrete work for the Main Street project, and received similar pricing for the anticipated work in front of the courthouse.
The total construction cost to move back the sidewalk and widen the portion of Park Avenue East came in at $57,371, he said. A $5,000 contingency was included by the city in case any changes arise during construction.
The project will be funded through Mansfield’s permissive sales tax, the city engineer said, and should be completed within the next month.
City secures winter rock salt contract
Mansfield officials opened rock salt contract bids Sept. 11, receiving three mailings in total.
Jessica Martin, procurement officer, said only one of the three contractors was able to submit a bid — which the board approved Tuesday.
The city will pay Morton Salt $92.89 per ton, Martin said. This is slightly less than Richland County will pay Morton.
The county approved a contract with Morton — who will supply up to 6,700 tons of road salt at a cost of $93.18 per ton for all local government entities throughout the county, except the cities of Mansfield and Shelby, as well as Washington Township — near the end of August.
“I’m glad we got a bid,” Mansfield Mayor Jodie Perry said. “It’s not a great bid, but it is what it is.”
Perry said the contract with Morton does not commit Mansfield to a specific tonnage, but the city typically uses about 8,000 tons on average each winter.