See which streets, bridges will be under construction in 2024

CANTON – More orange construction barrels are coming to Canton.

The Canton City Engineering Department plans to spend nearly $14 million on road paving and street and bridge construction projects this year, its highest allocation since at least 2008, city records show.

Nearly $6 million will be spent to pave roughly 30 miles of the city’s 440 miles of road as part of the city’s annual paving list that will touch 141 different roads. Another 13 miles of road will be paved as part of larger road construction projects.

City Traffic Engineer Nick Loukas said the department needs to pave 29 miles of road each year to maintain an average 15-year paving cycle. But the city fell far behind due to a lack of money before city voters passed the Issue 13 income tax increase in 2018.

“Over the last two years, we finally got to where we actually feel good about where we are headed,” Loukas said.

This year’s paving list includes more than 70 alleys, which generally are considered roads under 16 feet wide with few, if any, homes fronting them.

Mayor William V. Sherer II has pledged to pave every alley in the city within four years as part of his neighborhood transformation initiative, titled Connecting Canton – Together, that was unveiled in May.

It’s been decades since alleys were paved

City Service Director John Highman said it likely has been decades since the alleys were last paved.

“The philosophy has been that fewer people drive on them, so you do them last,” Highman said. “But when you got behind as those who came before us did, at some point, you can’t let them deteriorate anymore and you have to have a philosophy change.”

Much of this year’s alley work is concentrated east of Cleveland Avenue and north of 12^th Street. City leaders have identified the area, which includes the Vassar Park neighborhood, as one of its two priority focus areas for the neighborhood improvement initiative.

The initiative’s other priority area is in southeast Canton where the 11th Street SE realignment and roundabout and the Allen Avenue SE sanitary sewer project are underway.

Beyond the paving and its major construction project, the engineering department also is laying the groundwork for future projects such as conducting traffic safety studies at 13^th Street and Interstate 77 and at the intersections of U.S. Route 62, Harmont Avenue NE and Lesh Avenue NE. The department also is starting the design process for future improvements along Cleveland Avenue NW between 12^th and 30^th streets, at Fulton Drive and 25^th Street NW, and along 30^th Street NE.

Some of the department’s non-road-related projects slated for this year include the expansion of the city’s impound lot and overseeing the construction of multiple buildings such as an auction building at 2436 30^th St. NE, a building for the sanitation department on Regent Avenue NW and a building that will house the engineering department’s traffic, signal, sign and paint operations.

A list of all the engineering department’s major projects can be found at cantonohio.gov.

Canton’s 20 major road and bridge projects

The list below of the major road and bridge projects in Canton affecting residents and motorists includes only Canton City Engineering Department projects and does not include all the projects undertaken by the city water or sewer departments, the paving or road repair done by the city street department or the gas line installation projects planned by Dominion Gas.

It also does not include the Ohio Department of Transportation’s project to repave Market Avenue N (state Route 43) from 30^th Street to 55^th Street. That work is expected to start in July and be completed in October.

Here are the Canton Engineering Department’s 20 major projects for 2024:

1. 11th Street SE realignment and roundabout

Project: Straightening 11^th Street SE between Market Avenue S and Cherry Avenue SE, adding a roundabout at the Market and 11^th Street SE intersection, improving the intersection at 11^th Street and Cherry with a new traffic signal and upgrading the storm sewer, sanitary sewer and waterlines. Decorative roadway lighting, trees, brick accents and a bicycle lane also will be added.

Estimated construction schedule: Underway, to be completed in May 2025

Estimated cost: $14.2 million

Traffic impact: Posted detour is Navarre Road SW, from Cleveland Avenue SW to Cherry Avenue SE, and Market Avenue S, from Meek Place SW to Buckeye Place SW

2. Allen Avenue SE sanitary sewer

Project: Relocate and replace the sanitary sewer lines along Allen Avenue SE, from the bridge north of 17th Street SE to 11th Street SE and along 14th Street SE from Allen Avenue to Cherry Avenue, as well as various side streets and alleys.

Estimated construction schedule: Underway, to be completed later this month

Estimated cost: $5 million

Traffic impact: Closed to through traffic

3. Fourth Street SE sanitary sewer

Project: Relocate and replace the sanitary sewer along Fourth Street SE from the railroad tracks east of Madison Avenue SE to Warner Road SE; along Main Court SE from Third Street SE to Fourth Street SE; and from Third Street SE from Main Court SE to Warner Road SE.

Estimated construction schedule: Underway, to be completed in August

Estimated cost: $4.5 million

Traffic impact: Closed to through traffic

4. 15th Street SW Bridge Replacement

Project: Replace the existing bridge structure with a new steel beam structure over the west branch of the Nimishillen Creek, between Henry Avenue and McKinley Avenue SW.

Expected start:  July

Expected end: December

Estimated cost: $2.7 million

Traffic impact: Detours will be posted

5. Ninth Street SW bridge replacement

Project: Replace the existing bridge structure with a new steel beam structure over the west branch of Nimishillen Creek, between Camden and Schroyer avenues SW.

Estimated construction schedule: Underway, to be completed in August

Estimated cost: $2.5 million

Traffic impact: Detours posted

6. Eastside sanitary sewer interceptor rehabilitation

Project: Install a cured-in-place liner in the off-road sanitary sewer located east and west of Fresh Mark on Harmont Avenue NE.

Estimated construction schedule: July-December

Estimated cost: $2 million

Traffic impact: None

7. 31st Street NE waterline and storm sewer

Project: Construct new waterline and storm sewers along 31st Street NE from Harmont Avenue NE to Coventry Avenue NE and along Coventry Ave NE from 31st Street NE to 30th Street NE. The roadway also will be reconstructed and curbs will be installed.

Estimated construction schedule: Underway, to be completed later this month

Estimated cost: $1.4 million

Traffic impact: Traffic to be maintained

8. Monument Road NW sanitary sewer replacement

Project: Replace the sanitary sewer line on Monument Road NW from 18^th Street to 23^rd Street NW.

Estimated construction schedule: July to December

Estimated cost/funding sources: $1.3 million

Traffic impact: Will be closed to through traffic

9. 18th Street SW storm sewer rehabilitation

Project: To stabilize failing sections of the existing pipe, a cured-in-place liner will be inserted into 1,500 feet of existing 48-inch diameter corrugated metal storm sewer under 18^th Street SW, from Nimishillen Creek to near the Stark-Wayne Schradar playground on Stark Avenue SW.

Estimated construction schedule: July

Estimated cost: $1.2 million

Traffic impact: Traffic to be maintained

10. 15^th Street SE and Allen Avenue SE railroad crossing reconfiguration

Project: Realign the intersection and railroad crossing at the intersection of 15^th Street and Allen Avenue SE.

Estimated construction schedule: Summer

Estimated cost: $1 million

Traffic impact: Detours to be posted

11. Schroyer Avenue SW sanitary sewer rehabilitation

Project: To stabilize failing sections of the existing pipe, a cured-in-place pipe liner will be inserted into roughly 3,200 feet of the existing 18-inch diameter sanitary sewer along Schroyer Ave SW, between Tuscarawas Street W and the south side of Ninth Street SW.

Estimated construction schedule: July to December

Estimated cost: $900,000

Traffic impact: Traffic to be maintained

12. 10^th Street NW sidewalk replacement

Project: Replace the sidewalks and curbs as needed along 10^th Street NW from Fulton Road to Cleveland Avenue NW.

Estimated construction schedule: Summer to fall

Estimated cost: $900,000

Traffic impact: Traffic to be maintained

13. Harmont Avenue and Columbus Road NE repaving

Project: A joint project with the Stark County Engineer’s Office that will pave Harmont Avenue NE from U.S. Route 62 to Columbus Road and Columbus Road from Route 62 to the eastern city limits.

Estimated construction schedule: June to September

Estimated cost: $700,000

Traffic impact: Traffic to be maintained

14. Cleveland Avenue SW reconstruction

Project: Replace the existing concrete pavement along Cleveland Avenue SW from the Interstate 77 ramp to the bridge over Interstate 77.

Estimated construction schedule: Summer to fall

Estimated cost: $650,000

Traffic impact: Traffic to be maintained

15. Viola Parkway NW sanitary sewer realignment

Project: Relocate and replace the sanitary sewer line along Viola Parkway NW between 13^th Street NW and Valentine Circle E and along Valentine Circle E.

Estimated construction schedule: June to September

Estimated cost: $600,000

Traffic impact: Road closures expected

16. Wayne Avenue NE sanitary sewer relocation

Project: The second phase of the project that includes relocating the sanitary sewer along Wayne Avenue NE, which is west of Fresh Mark.

Estimated construction schedule: July to December

Estimated cost: $500,000

Traffic impact: Traffic will be maintained

17. Clarendon Avenue SW pedestrian bridge demolition

Project: Removal of a pedestrian bridge along Clarendon Avenue SW that crosses Navarre Road SW and the Norfolk Southern railroad tracks.

Estimated construction schedule: Summer

Expected cost: $400,000

Traffic impact: Detours will be posted

18. Shanabruck Avenue NW storm sewer installation

Project: Install new storm sewers to improve drainage and pave Shanabruck Avenue NW from 37^th Street to 41^st Street NW.

Estimated construction schedule: June to July

Estimated cost: $140,000

Traffic impact: Traffic to be maintained

19. Westview Avenue NW storm sewer installation

Project: Install a new storm sewer to improve drainage and pave Westview Avenue NW from 37^th Street to 39^th Street NW; and 38^th Street NW from Norman Avenue NW to Westview Avenue NW.

Estimated construction schedule: Underway, to be completed later this month

Estimated cost: $140,000

Traffic impact: Traffic to be maintained

20. Woodland Avenue NW storm sewer installation

Project: Install new storm sewers to improve drainage and pave the street on Woodland Avenue NW from 30th Street NW to 32^nd Street NW.

Estimated construction schedule: Underway, to be completed later this month

Estimated cost: $73,000

Traffic impact: Traffic to be maintained

Reach Canton Repository staff writer Kelli Weir at 330-580-8339 or kelli.weir@cantonrep.com.

Canton City road paving projects 2024

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Canton City road paving, bridge and street construction projects