Funds sought for 3 road projects

11/13/2003
BY MIKE JONES
BLADE STAFF WRITER

Springfield Township has applied for more than $300,000 in state funds to help pay for three road improvement projects for 2005, slated to cost about $660,000 .

Township administrator Bob Anderson said although annual funding requests are the norm, none is in the pipeline.

“We have just concluded road projects that cost about $1.5 million, he said.

After funding was secured for that work, he said, township officials determined that “it was time to take a breather and make a re-assessment of priorities.

He said the current applications are a result of those decisions.

Proposed improvements to Mescher Road are necessary, not only because the 1953 roadway is showing signs of age, but because it is unsuitable for light industrial usage.

The area is zoned for light-industrial use, and the township recently was able to put together a cooperative program that allowed for resurfacing a portion of Mescher to attract a truck repair business.

The job called for resurfacing about 650 feet of the roadway south of Airport Highway so it could support the likely traffic from a new business of Michael Weisenburger.

The job was estimated to cost about $20,000, but an agreement was reached with the county engineer s office to supply the labor that accounted for about $12,000 of the cost.

The remaining $8,000 was split by Mr. Weisenburger, the township, and the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority, which owned the property.

The work planned with state funds calls for the addition of 3 inches of paving, widening the road, and rebuilding it and improving storm drainage.

The improvements will be from Airport to Garden Road and are expected to cost nearly $300,000.

The second job calls for improvements to about one-tenth of Estateland Court that Mr. Anderson said is in poor condition. The work includes removing pavement and curbs and replacing them with a stone base and a roadway of about 4 inches of asphalt concrete. The cost is estimated at about $130,000.

The third project is repaving Pilliod Road for about a half-mile between Holloway Road and Heritage Green.

Mr. Anderson said although the roadbed seems firm, the work will include resurfacing and the addition of a bicycle lane. The cost is expected to be about $330,000.