LAWRENCE TWP. – A major road construction project on a 3.5-mile stretch of State Route 21 is showing significant movement.
Repaving work is underway along the four lanes of Route 21 between Butterbridge Road NW and the Wayne County line, with the northbound and southbound lanes having one lane each.
“The majority of the asphalt resurfacing should be done by the end of (this) week, weather permitting,” said Justin Chesnic, Ohio Department of Transportation spokesman for District 4. “Things are going pretty well .”
Project contractor Karvo Companies began construction on the $3.5 million project on September 9, Chesnic said, adding that work started slightly earlier than expected.
The earlier start could amount to a possible early completion date, or one that is at least on time, Chesnic said. Estimated completion is scheduled for October 2025.
Road rehabilitation: The Great State Route 21 improvement project begins in Wayne County. See the impact.
The Route 21 project includes completely grinding off old pavement and replacing roadways with fresh asphalt, as well as upgrading intersections, catch basins, drainage and culverts.
According to Chesnic, the entrance and exit ramps to State Route 93, or Manchester Road, will also be repaved as part of the project.
Permanent striping on Route 21 will be completed by the end of the project in 2025. ODOT’s district preservation fund is paying for the upgrades, Chesnic said.
According to ODOT, more than 19,000 cars use the roadway every day, which serves as a major route between Massillon and Cleveland.
The State Route 21 project north of Stark County has been underway since the spring
A separate but related road improvement project along Route 21 has been underway since March in Wayne County, which is part of ODOT’s District 3. The effort covers a 9.3-mile stretch of highway between the Summit and Stark County lines.
The work includes replacing the entire pavement, repairing bridges and replacing culverts. Safety improvements are also being made at four intersections: Clinton Road, Edwards Road, Grill Road and Eastern Road.
“The northbound lanes are closed to traffic (at this time). Traffic traveling north and south (on Route 21) has been moved to the southbound lanes, likely until sometime in November,” Crystal Neelon said , spokeswoman for District 3.
New asphalt paving will be installed between Clinton and Edwards roads this week, Neelon said, adding that the Route 585 state bridge is closed for ongoing work and will reopen on or about Nov. 8.
The Wayne County project will total $31 million and is funded by federal and state grants. Kenmore Construction is the contractor.
Estimated completion is June 2026.
Reach Steven Grazier at steven.grazier@indeonline.com. On X (formerly Twitter): @sgrazierINDE
This article originally appeared on The Repository: ODOT continues construction and repaving along State Route 21 in Stark
