Sidewalks being built on Cleveland Road

SANDUSKY — Sandusky took some serious steps forward with providing a pathway for pedestrians, in addition to other improvements, on a major road. During a recent public meeting, city commissioners backed a $140,000 project to install curbing, drainage and sidewalks, as needed on the south side of Cleveland Road East (U.S. 6) between Harbour Parkway and East Shoreway Drive near Castaway Bay. Along this zone, spanning a little more than one-half mile: • Sidewalks do exist on Cleveland Road's south side between Harbour Parkway up until Remington Avenue. • There are no sidewalks on Cleveland Road's south side between Remington Avenue and East Shoreway Drive. • There are no sidewalks on Cleveland Road's north side. "Staff felt this was a priority for this corridor as the eastern gateway to the city," assistant city engineer Josh Snyder said. "Furthermore, this will extend connectivity to the soon-to-be installed Sandusky Bay Pathway (recreational trail/bike path) segment, which will connect from East Shoreway Drive to the Cedar Point Sports Center, tying in multiple businesses and hotels on this side of Cleveland Road." The curb and drainage portion aims to better alleviate flooding issues often occurring on this stretch. Snyder expects construction to start in 2025. Regarding its price tag, the project totals about $140,000, and officials intend on spending local funds to cover this expense. Understanding the U.S. 6 work This latest project supports a larger undertaking on Cleveland Road (U.S. 6.) In 2022, local officials representing various area governments collaborated to land a $24.5 million federal grant specifically for upgrading U.S. 6 in Erie County. It'll occur along a 6-mile stretch between Sycamore Line (U.S. 250) in Sandusky and Rye Beach Road in Huron. Local officials coined this area the U.S. 6 Connectivity Corridor, which encompasses Sports Force Parks and the Cedar Point Sports Center, various Erie MetroParks properties and Sawmill Creek by Cedar Point Resorts. In short, the money intends to: • Enhance safety for both motorists and pedestrians • Increase efficiency as far as traffic flow goes • Improve multimodal transportation options More specifically, the funds call for extending the Sandusky Bay Pathway and replacing five intersections with roundabouts, including at the aforementioned Cleveland Road and Cedar Point Drive. Officials, in the application, noted the corridor "serves as one of the (area's) major transportation routes, is considered vital infrastructure as it supports an $11 billion tourism economy and provides access to the premier tourist destinations in Ohio." Local officials pegged the total project cost at about $35 million. Erie County previously secured $5 million from the Ohio Department of Transportation. Contributions from local communities directly impacted by these changes should offset the balance. Surveying and engineering recently started, and officials believe all work could end sometime within the next decade.