ASHLAND — A section of one of Ashland’s busiest thoroughfares, and one of the city’s most pothole-ridden roadways, came one step closer to getting resurfaced Tuesday.
Ashland City Council voted unanimously to allow the mayor and city officials to advertise for bids for the resurfacing of Claremont Avenue between Baney and Smith roads.
The $3.6 million project, likely to start by early summer, will mostly be covered by state grants.
Ashland received the largest grant, $1.8 million, in late 2020 from the Ohio Department of Transportation’s Small City Program. Another $413,796 through the OPWC Local Transportation Improvement Program was awarded for the project.
The city’s local share, therefore, is $1.4 million.
“This will be a complete … refurbishing of Claremont Avenue,” said Ashland Mayor Matt Miller.
It will include new drainage, curbs, sidewalks in certain areas, new pavement and some portions of the road’s sub-base will be replaced.
Miller said Claremont’s resurfacing has been long-awaited and needed as the road’s conditions have worsened each year. The mayor said the city will install signs along the road soon to let people know “help is on the way.”
“That is one of the busier routes in our city and it was pointed out to me by someone, a lot of the visitors to our community use Claremont Avenue. And what an entrance to come down that road and it’s crumbling before your very eyes,” he said.
Officials hope the section of Claremont Avenue will remain open to traffic during construction.
The resurfacing project is one of three on the road scheduled to begin this year.
Heading north toward the city, officials plan to replace an old bridge. The $1.3 million project will replace the stone bridge that passes over Town Run.
The bridge construction will result in a closure of the road, most likely through August, Miller said.
Construction on the $1.74 million roundabout is also planned to begin this year at the intersection of Cottage Street, U.S. Route 250 and Faultless Drive.
