ASHLAND — A planned pedestrian improvements project discussed for years in Ashland is about to come to fruition.
The U.S. 250 corridor within city limits receives a high volume of traffic. Conveniently located near I-71, the corridor includes the popular Goasis travel center and gas station — which was visited by more than 1.2 million people in the past year.
It will also soon boast a Culver’s, best known for its ButterBurgers, cheese curds and frozen custard.
With popular amenities comes many travelers, creating an increased need to provide ample safety for pedestrians making their way through the area.
Mayor Matt Miller announced plans for the installation of a paved multi-use pedestrian path along U.S. 250 during City Council’s meeting Tuesday evening. The overall project will also include construction of sidewalks, crosswalks and curb ramps, along with traffic signal and drainage improvements.
“We’ve often commented that with the new apartments out in that area and all the growth that’s taking place, it’s not uncommon to see people walking back and forth on the berm of U.S. 250 carrying their grocery bags or their Walmart bags and so on,” Miller said. “That’s a very dangerous situation.”
The multi-use path will be 11 feet wide on the south side of U.S. 250 and 6 feet wide on the north side of the route. Miller said the path will begin at Sugarbush Drive and run all the way to the future Culver’s location near Montgomery Road.
“Now people will be able to move to and from those places both on foot, bike, scooter, e-bike and other motorized vehicles,” the mayor said.
“It really is aimed at making it safer for people to move about in that area,” he said.
City Council unanimously approved an ordinance authorizing the mayor to advertise for bids and to enter into a contract for the U.S. 250 pedestrian improvements project.
Cost breakdown
The city applied for grant funds through the Ohio Department of Transportation to complete the project. Ashland was awarded $1,894,928 through ODOT’s Programmatic Safety Program for the project’s design and construction.
According to legislation from Tuesday’s council meeting, the project is estimated to cost $1,778,347. The grant from ODOT will cover 90 percent of project costs, up to $1,570,928.
That leaves the city’s 10-percent share of the costs at $207,419.
Ashland was also awarded $175,000 through the Ohio Department of Development’s Local Development Projects Program to assist with the required local match for the project.
Combined with costs covered by the ODOT grant, the city is left to cover the remaining $32,419 — which will come from appropriate accounts per the finance director’s discretion, according to the legislation.
Miller said he does not anticipate the project will be completed in 2026, but expects some of the work may begin before the year ends.
