Get ready for road repairs

BERLIN TWP. — Local officials from the Erie County engineer's office provided a road map of where they believe repairs make the most sense for residents, drivers and taxpayers. Not too long ago, the engineer's office unveiled its list of road repairs for 2025. It's broken up into three different categories: asphalt, microsurfacing and chip seal. "Most people are very familiar with the traditional asphalt pavement, but the engineer's office receives questions on the other surface treatment methods," county engineer Eric Dodrill said. He explained the other two treatments: • "Microsurfacing is a cost-effective preventative maintenance treatment for roads in relatively good condition. The application — being a thin layer of polymer-modified emulsified asphalt and fine aggregate, seals cracks and prevents water intrusion — increases skid resistance and restores a uniform, black appearance to the road surface. This treatment can extend the pavement life by six to 10 years, depending on pavement condition before treatment." • "Chip seal is also a cost-effective surface treatment for extending the life of existing pavement. It involves applying a layer of liquid asphalt onto the road surface, followed immediately with a layer of crushed stone, which is compacted to embed the stone. This treatment doubles the life of a pavement by sealing cracks, preventing water intrusion and further deterioration." When adding all the projects together, this cost totals about $2.3 million. Money will come from the engineer's budget and local townships where projects are happening. Those working for the engineer's office emphasized how they appreciated working together with leaders of local political subdivisions. Doing so, they secured a better price by submitting several projects together rather than each entity individually pursuing these tasks. "Working with multiple communities to aggregate larger projects results in cost savings for these projects," Dodrill said. "This allows us to bid a larger project, which lowers the per-unit cost of construction. The engineer's office provides the engineering and administration to further lower the costs for the townships." All work circles back to providing a better road network for the traveling public. "Our engineering staff works diligently to provide the community with safe, efficient roadways at the best cost," Dodrill said. "These projects will be underway in the very near future and will be completed this year." Project list Here's a look at the roads slated to receive upgrades this year Asphalt Contracting with Erie Blacktop, all projects collectively total about $1.3 million. • Throughout Erie County: — Berlin Road from Mason Road to Huron's corporation line • In Huron Township: — Fitzgerald subdivision: Cassidy Place, James Avenue, Jane Avenue, Joti Avenue, Lawrence Avenue and Margo Street — Isolated repair of a small section on Boos Road — Isolated repair of a small section on Camp Road — Isolated repair of a small section on Rye Beach Road • In Berlin Township: — Andress Road from the 13400 block of Andress to Nash roads — Ruggles Beach subdivision: Ruggles Beach Subdivision: Columbus, Norwalk and Parkview avenues Microsurfacing Contracting with Strawser Construction, all projects collectively total about $871,900. • Throughout Erie County: — Bardshar Road from West Bogart Road to Skadden Road — Florence-Wakeman Road from Burr Road to Ohio 113 — Joppa Road from Darrow Road to Ohio 113 — West Mason Road from Harris Road to Milan Road (U.S. 250) — Skadden Road from Bardshar Road to Hayes Avenue (Ohio 4) • In Margaretta Township: — Winkel's subdivision: Greenfield Avenue, Hillcrest Drive, Marigold Drive and Sunnydale Drive Chip seal Contracting with Runway Inc., all projects collectively total about $139,500. • In Berlin Township: — Berlin Road from Hill Road to West Main Street — Cable Road from Nash to Reiger roads — North Depot Street — Hahn Road from Darrow Road to Ohio 2 — Tennant Road from Collins Road to the 6500 block of Tennant Road • In Milan Township: — Kelley Road from West Mason Road to Ohio 113 Additional projects may be planned in addition to those listed. Information can be obtained from the Erie County engineer's office or local township officials