ASHLAND — Certain sections of Claremont Avenue will get a fresh layer of pavement, starting next Friday, Ashland Mayor Matt Miller has said.

Miller said Kokosing Construction agreed to repave “the worst sections” of Claremont Avenue as part of the company’s contract signed last year.

So the plan is to advertise for bids on the rest of the work — making foundational repairs, replacing curbs, address drainage issues like catch basins and installing sidewalks in some sections — in the fall, meaning the project would most likely be complete sometime next year.

Council approved $1.7 million in 2021 for the repaving of 55 streets throughout the city. Kokosing couldn’t start the job until September because of a busy season and agreed to come back this spring to finish the job.

The firm is back in Ashland now, and working on repaving 19 streets throughout the city. For a full list of streets, click here.

Claremont Avenue is now part of that list — but council may have to vote on a change order to the tune of $137,000, Miller said.

“Our first contract with Kokosing, it allows for a 10% increase in the contract before it heads back to council. The thought was whether or not $137,000 is a big enough increase. So it might not have to go before council,” he said.

The worst sections of Claremont Avenue are between Baney Road and Drug Mart, Miller said.

The original plan was to complete the whole project by November, which included repaving the four-lane road from Baney to Smith roads. The city only received one bid for that project — but it came in $1 million over the estimated $3.6 million.

State law dictates governmental entities must accept bids that are no more than 10% over the entity’s original estimate.

State grants from the Ohio Department of Transportation will cover the majority of the cost, with a city share of $1.4 million.