LIMA — Allen County Commissioners approved a contract for a new project. The Roadway Engineer Dave Louth accepted a bid from Bluffton Paving Inc. on Thursday morning. The Ohio Department of Transportation is helping fund the project, which totals $448,443.61. ODOT is covering $200,000 of the cost. According to the resolution, the remainder of the funding will come from the county.
“It’s called the Sugar Street rehabilitation project,” Louth said. “Due to some expansion that the Ford Engine Plant is doing, we were able to acquire some state funding (because of their growth) to improve some infrastructure — we applied for and received a grant in the amount of $200,000, from ODOT Jobs and Commerce.”
Louth also said the county plans to do a complete resurfacing project from Bible to Bluelick Road.
“We are completely milling the pavement three inches deep and then we are bringing it back up and two levels of asphalt to re-establish the road to give it a good solid pavement now,” Louth said. “We are also doing some improvements to the traffic signals at both intersections there at Bluelick and at Bible, new traffic lights and new equipment there to improve those two intersections. We are finishing all that up with some new pavement striping.”
The contractors have until Nov. 17 to complete the project. Louth said he is unsure when they will begin. A meeting with the contractor will be held at a later date to confirm the start of the project.
“The pavement out there is really deteriorating rapidly,” Louth said. “With the increased traffic from the expansion of the Ford Plant, the goal is to improve the driving for the traffic that is moving to and from the Lima Ford Engine Plant.”
Reach Precious Grundy at 567-242-0351.
