Sandusky refocused on resurfacing streets

SANDUSKY — After being stuck in neutral last year, Sandusky officials reignited a program focused on revamping roads. During a recent public meeting, city commissioners approved a $1.1 million funding request specifically for its local street resurfacing program. This year's plan calls for improving 31 street segments, collectively totaling about 2.7 miles. After a one-year hiatus, officials brought back this nearly annual program, refocusing efforts to smooth out locally maintained streets primarily in neighborhoods and those bordering residential housing districts. So what happened in 2025? Officials still upgraded streets driven on by local motorists, though these larger, more intensive projects required greater attention and often involved state and federal input. This included tasks to overhaul West Monroe Street, Columbus Avenue, Cleveland Road (U.S. 6) and areas of MacArthur Park. The last time Sandusky's government pursued a local street resurfacing program occurred in 2024. Back then, the city spent $1.2 million to resurface almost 50 street segments, translating to about 4.4 miles in length. When comparing what occurred in 2024 to what's happening today, this year's program comes up a bit short. Here's why. In 2026, "We have more concrete segments getting overlaid with asphalt, which is more costly than simply resurfacing over an existing asphalt-surfaced roadway," city interim public works director Josh Snyder said. Snyder, who expects work on the 2026 project to begin in May and end by July, will address "many of the worst street sections in the city based on a variety of factors," which account for traffic volumes, age of the surface and more. "Because of the poor condition of these segments, varying degrees of pavement work is necessary," Snyder said. "Most of these streets have not seen new pavement in over 20 years with some, reportedly, in the range of 30 to 40 years." Where work will occur Here's a road map of the street segments in Sandusky slated to receive upgrades in 2026: Bauer Avenue • Cleveland Road (U.S. 6) to Marina Lane Broadway Street • Barker to West Monroe streets • Barker Street to Tiffin Avenue (U.S. 6) • West Madison to West Monroe streets Buchanan Street • Mills to Putnam streets Carroll Avenue • West Monroe Street to end of property Clinton Street • West Madison to West Monroe streets • West Jefferson to West Madison streets East Market Street • Columbus Avenue to Wayne Street East Washington Row • West Washington Row to Wayne Street Franklin Street • East Adams to East Washington streets Harrison Street • Filmore to Pierce streets Huron Street • West Cove Drive to Gartland Avenue • West Cove Drive to West Monroe Street West Jefferson Street • Central Avenue to Fulton Street West Market Street • Columbus Avenue to Jackson Street • Decatur to Jackson streets McDonough Street • West Adams to West Washington (U.S. 6) streets • West Market to West Washington (U.S. 6) streets Mills Street • West Madison to West Monroe streets • West Monroe Street to Tiffin Avenue (U.S. 6) Remington Avenue • Cleveland Road (U.S. 6) to end of property Scott Street • Campbell to Wayne streets • Hancock to Wayne streets Second Street • Erie to Ogontz streets • Erie to Reese streets • Lane to Ontario streets Shelby Street • Grant Street to West Perkins Avenue Thomas Street • Buchanan to Pierce streets • Pierce to Rockwell streets West Washington Street • Jackson Street to East Washington Row