When will Perkins Ave. work end?

Project updates on major Sandusky roads • Today — Butler Street • Friday — Columbus Avenue • Saturday — Perkins Avenue SANDUSKY — Starting in the spring and continuing through summer and fall, a major road initiative won't wrap until a new season — winter — nearly begins. "The entirety of the project is still on target to finish, within this year's paving season, by Dec. 1," according to a city statement provided by Sandusky's communications manager Tom Horsman and city assistant engineer Josh Snyder. In recent days, they provided a new update to the Register, offering up a completion date, which they hadn't previously publicized in a high-profile fashion before. Officials set Dec. 1 as a competition date because "asphalt plants typically close at Thanksgiving, which is the biggest reason we set (Dec. 1) as a completion date without rushing the contractor and allowing proper time for them to address utility issues that have had issues for years," Snyder said. It's anticipated work could end before this but not afterward. "We have a good contractor in Speer Bros., and I am confident that they will meet the deadline of Dec. 1," city ex officio mayor Dick Brady said. The Perkins Avenue water line replacement and street resurfacing project involves two major components: • Replacing the 80-year-old water line under the street • Resurfacing the roadway, which was last done in 2003 The total project area stretches from Anita Drive to the Mills Creek bridge for a total length of nearly 2 miles. Officials know and understand the frustrations expressed by motorists ever since this project began in early June. Earlier this year, they originally believed all work could end in two or three months — but, at the time, not six months, which is the case today. People often complain because westbound traffic couldn't and/or still can't access areas along Perkins Avenue's northern half. The detours add several minutes to one's trip. Complicating matters: A separate project to replace a bridge on Perkins Avenue spanning Pipe Creek just east of Milan Road (U.S. 250) not far from Michaels also shut down this portion of the road. But here's the main reason for these delays. "This project, design and construction, took longer than a simple resurfacing project and replaces an 80-plus-year-old water line with over 70 repairs being made on it by city records," said Snyder, noting numerous water line breaks have occurred throughout this stretch. "This will eliminate annual repairs and overtime necessitated by the poor condition of said line," he added. "Replacing the bad and missing curb will improve drainage on the corridor, and sidewalk replacement will make the sidewalk more useable and accessible by all pedestrians." What's next? With excerpts provided by city officials, here's a full progress report on the work happening and soon coming to Perkins Avenue: • Hayes Avenue (Ohio 4) to the west — Fully completed in July • Hayes Avenue to Campbell Street — Paving occurred on Tuesday with striping and manhole adjustments happening on Wednesday and Thursday; Crews scheduled this area to reopen on Friday. • Campbell Street to Columbus Avenue — "Work is progressing on concrete work replacing the drive aprons, curbs and sidewalks. Two things have delayed this section: a leak was found on a 16-inch water line that ties into the new water main. We are waiting for parts to make this repair. (There were) old streetcar tracks that were discovered last week under the Columbus Avenue-Perkins Avenue intersection. It is expected that this intersection will need to be shut down for some time in the next two weeks to get back under there and remove the rails and finish the water line work." • Columbus Avenue to 52nd Street — "The curbside lane is closed as water line work is progressing toward 52nd Street. Once Columbus Avenue to Campbell Street reopens, it's likely that both westbound lanes between Columbus Avenue and 52nd Street will need to close." • 52nd Street to Anita Drive — "This is the final stretch of Perkins Avenue that will be getting resurfaced." Upon reaching the Columbus Avenue portion, it's possible crews keep one lane for westbound traffic open at all times. Both sides of Perkins Avenue typically feature two lanes. Crews, meanwhile, continue to keep as many portions of Perkins Avenue open as possible. Making sense of the dollars and cents Through a bidding process, the project's cost totals $4.4 million. Earlier this year, officials secured a $2.5 million federal grant and a $325,000 state grant to offset the local contribution. Regarding the remaining $1.6 million, officials plan on getting a loan, relying on city water funds, back by area ratepayers, to cover this expense over a several-year-long period. A tale of two street halves Remember four years ago when one half of Perkins Avenue got paved while the other didn't? Here's why Sandusky officials left its portion of Perkins Avenue unpaved. In 2019, crews contracted by the Erie County engineer's office started a project to resurface Perkins Avenue's southern half, or eastbound lanes, in this very same work area. Throughout this work zone, Perkins Avenue serves as a political subdivision border, splitting Perkins Township and Sandusky. Erie County controls the southern half, and Sandusky oversees its northern half. Before any work started, Sandusky officials wanted to collaborate with Erie County to pave both sides within one contract. Obviously, that didn't happen. "The city knew it had a water line to replace along the northern half and opted to wait until a larger project could be constructed rather than simply resurface over a water main that we knew was in poor condition," Snyder said. "Funding and coordination of design were key drivers of this decision." Sandusky officials said they informed Erie County's engineers about their hopes to line up work. "We have tried to be very diligent by timing our resurfacing after completion of underground utilities so we don't tear up new pavement or pay for it twice," city public works director Aaron Klein said. Klein continued: "Originally, the county engineer was OK with this, but, when they reviewed their resurfacing plan in 2017, they decided they couldn't wait until (2023), which is entirely their right. They invited us to participate in this resurfacing project, but I opted not to. Proceeding with the resurfacing is entirely (the county engineer's) right, and I have no hard feelings whatsoever. We work very well with the county engineer's office."