Mount Vernon gets $2 million to improve Edgewood Road
MOUNT VERNON — Of the $16.9 million the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) is providing to help fund road reconstruction or maintenance, the City of Mount Vernon will get $2 million.
The money will help cover the cost of improving Edgewood Road between East High Street and Gambier Road (Ohio 229). The project includes installing curb and gutter, storm sewer work, water and sanitary line replacement, and a sidewalk on the west side.
Crews will also line up the road with Vine Street and improve the intersection at High Street.
“Edgewood Road is in extremely poor condition,” City Engineer Brian Ball said. “It’s very difficult for our crews to maintain the street and water lines. We’ve had significant water line breaks. The last one was in December, when we had more than 200 hours of overtime dealing with that break and others.”
Additionally, the pavement condition rate is 73 (out of 100).
“That part [of the road] is in failure. The ditches are problematic,” Ball said. “The goal is to reconstruct it with a smoother, more uniform driving surface, curbs and gutters.”
Although ODOT lists the project as widening Edgewood, Ball said the road is not really going to get wider.
“The plan is to add a sidewalk on the west side — not a bike path — so we’ll probably shift the road slightly to the east to make room,” he explained, adding that the project includes vegetative barriers to create separation between the road and homes.
Timeline
Mount Vernon City Council’s 2023 budget package included a line item to study Edgewood Road. Ball will ask council to appropriate money for design services in its 2024 budget.