State supplies sidewalk money for Huron

HURON — Huron officials found themselves on the right path leading to a massive state award for sidewalk improvements. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine recently announced the city stands to receive $650,000 to build a 1.1-mile-long dedicated pedestrian pathway along Cleveland Road East (U.S. 6) from Lincoln Avenue to the Huron Green subdivision. Along this portion, the sidewalks should span Cleveland Road's south side with some additional pavement poured in areas near Anchorage Circle and Gateway Boulevard. The project totals about $770,000. Huron officials plan to cover this remaining amount through a $120,000 grant provided by Erie County's government. All work should start and end in 2024. "This project is so critical to advancing the efforts of the city and Huron Township to promote connectivity and accessibility throughout our jurisdictions," Huron city manager Matt Lasko said. It will "safely connect two heavily populated township subdivisions to amenities and commerce within the city." In total, the state supplied $54 million for projects in 30 counties. Each project circles back to preventing two types of deadly crashes in Ohio. "The projects will specifically reduce the risk of pedestrian-involved crashes and roadway departure accidents, both of which are responsible for increased fatalities in recent years," he said. While a bad injury or death hasn't occurred along this target zone in Huron, it could based on its layout. This prompted city officials to apply for funds with the state approving such a request. "With Ohio's new distracted driving law, we're beginning to see drivers' focus return to the roads, but we must also ensure that the roads themselves are structurally safe as well," DeWine said. "The infrastructure projects ... will be designed to help prevent deadly crashes." Lasko thanked the state for its consideration. "The highly competitive award of $650,000 from the Ohio Department of Transportation speaks to both the importance of the project to our communities but also to the benefit of the multi-jurisdictional approach," Lasko said. "The city and council are so thankful for the continued partnership with Huron Township and to our funders at the state of Ohio and Erie County, who previously supported the project through approximately $120,000 in grant funding."