Roads, bridges dominate capital improvements

2/14/2004

The emphasis of this year s Toledo capital improvements budget will be on roads and bridges, according to the plan showcased yesterday by Mayor Jack Ford s administration.

The $30.3 million budget is down 2 percent from the $31 million allocated last year. The spending plan was provided yesterday to City Council, which will hold hearings before voting on the package.

At $2.8 million, the city s share of rebuilding the lift spans of the Martin Luther King, Jr., Bridge is the single-largest item.

“This year we re replacing two bridges and rehabbing 10, so it s a big year for the bridge,” said William Franklin, the city s assistant chief operating officer.

Two bridges to be rebuilt in the plan are the Byrne Road span over Swan Creek and Holland-Sylvania Road over Wolf Creek.

A long-anticipated reconstruction of Byrne pavement, beginning with the stretch from Glendale Avenue to Airport Highway, is set to start this year. The budget includes $240,000 toward the city s share of $1.9 million. The cost of rebuilding Byrne from South Detroit Avenue to Dorr Street is $14.3 million, with most of the money coming from the federal and state governments.

A planned rebuilding of the lift spans, control towers, and electrical and mechanical components of the King bridge will take $2.8 million from city coffers. The projected cost of the drawbridge portion is $27.5 million. The project is scheduled to start this summer.

The proposed capital improvements budget includes $300,000 for a BMX off-road bicycle racing track. Mr. Franklin said the location has not yet been selected.

He said it would be a “destination park” in the pattern of other parks the administration has developed.

The budget includes $250,000 for the Erie Street Market. The money would pay for a redesign of the market to increase public use of it.