Major paving planned for 2025Nearmap USA was the sole bidder.ST. CLAIRSVILLE — A total of 10% of Belmont County’s roads will be paved in the coming years thanks to grant funding from the state.
On Wednesday, the Belmont County Board of Commissioners established a Capital Projects-Special Revenue Fund for an Ohio Department of Transportation grant of $2 million, to be used for resurfacing roads beginning in 2025. The grant is through the County Surface Transportation Program.
“This is a grant I applied for back int 2020 … they approved my application,”Engineer Terry Lively said. The proposed project cost was $3 million, with the county’s share a little over $1 million.“That’s a pretty nice grant. We’ve got a lot of work to do ahead of that to prepare plans and get things approved for the work to happen.”
Lively said the money would be available beginning fiscal year 2025, which begins July 1, 2024. The county share will likely come from the motor vehicle gas tax.
The current scope of the project covers portions of County Roads 10, 24, 30, 56 and 72, however Lively said several factors will impact the project between now and any start date.
“This of course was based on 2020 prices and everything’s gone up since then and of course will continue to go up, I think,”Lively said.“So these project costs are likely to change. I think the $2 million is capped, I don’t think they’re going to give me any adjustment on that.”
In addition, oil and gas companies may have road use maintenance agreements covering some of the roads. Some road substitution may occur.
Overall, about 17.28 miles of roadway would be paved.
“That would be the biggest paving project the county has done in a very long time, maybe ever,”Lively said. He added the roads listed are badly in need of paving.
“I don’t know the last time we paved that many roads in Belmont County,”Commissioner J.P. Dutton said, adding there are more than 200 paved roads in Belmont County.
“Two years out isn’t a long span,”Pultney Township Trustee Frank Shaffer said.
*** The commissioners also accepted a bid from Nearmap USA Inc. to provide oblique and orthophotography aerial imagery. Nearmap USA was the sole bidder. The yearly cost is $56,500 through 2026 for a total of $226,500.
Commissioner Josh Meyer said with this contract a single company will provide flyover mapping for the Geographic Information System map and the auditor’s office where before two separate companies had gathered data. The commissioners said this will mean a savings for the county. ***
The county auditor was not available to discuss the amount to be saved or costs from prior years. Lively said the price for has been erratic for the past several years, since sometimes the state has been conducting a project of its own and shared information with the county, reducing the price.
“It’s been up and down the past few years, but overall it’s going to be a savings for the county and the taxpayers, you’ll get a better product for less money,”Lively said.
“It is very high-resolution photography,”Meyer said.“It’s a great benefit to the residents.”
“With that sort of accuracy you can pick up fence posts, which is sometimes important when you come to property boundaries,”Lively said.“You can pick up hydrants, manholes and valves and things like that … there’s lots you can see in that kind of photography that’s useful.”
https://www.timesleaderonline.com/news/local-news/2022/08/major-paving-planned-for-2025/
