Construction work starts on Shoreline Drive

SANDUSKY — Construction crews barricaded the eastbound lane along a portion of Shoreline Drive to all traffic as work begins on a multimillion-dollar corridor overhaul project.Drivers can expect the area, spanning from Lawrence to Jackson streets, to remain closed until after Ohio Bike Week. This year's motorcycle-themed festival runs from May 24 through June 2.Then, presumably, on June 3, crews should close the westbound lane in this same area. Work should also take about a month to complete.Crews will then migrate further down the street to reconstruct other areas.Construction crews on Monday closed off the eastbound lane of Shoreline Drive to all vehicular traffic as they begin an $8.8 million project to completely overhaul the street in downtown Sandusky.A primer on the projectThis past fall, Sandusky city commissioners approved an $8.8 million contract to radically change Shoreline Drive in downtown Sandusky.Ending by spring 2020, tasks include:• Narrowing the road while maintaining on-street parking and two-way traffic• Enlarging the sidewalk on both sides• Establishing a protected bicycle lane, linking with the Sandusky Bay Pathway• Creating angled parking spots• Marking a specific shared space where businesses can place their dumpsters or garbage receptacles• Upgrading utilities and burying most of these lines underneath the road• Introducing traffic-calming measures near Shoreline Park"Overall, the designs aim to improve Shoreline Drive's aesthetics and position it as the 'front door' from the waterfront into downtown Sandusky," said Alex Pesta, a president with City Architecture, the Cleveland-based firm developing the Shoreline Drive plan.An artist rendering reimagines what Shoreline Drive in downtown Sandusky could look like. Construction work on the $8.8 million project, which calls for completely overhauling the downtown Sandusky street, started Monday.Reach reporter Andy Ouriel at ouriel@sanduskyregister.com and follow him on Twitter @AndyOuriel.An artist rendering reimagines what Shoreline Drive in downtown Sandusky could look like. Construction work on the $8.8 million project, which calls for completely overhauling the downtown Sandusky street, started Monday.