Work underway

FORT RECOVERY — After years of discussion and seeking funds, two streets in the village are being reconstructed.

Reconstruction for Broadway Street began Monday afternoon, said village administrator Randy Diller. PAB Construction from Coldwater, Ohio, submitted the lowest bid, which came in at about $723,300. Mercer County Commissioners awarded the bid to PAB last week.

Bidding for the Elm Street project is open now, with bids to be opened Aug. 13. Reconstruction has to be finished on Broadway Street before workers can begin on Elm Street, Diller noted at a meeting between engineers and Broadway and Elm streets property owners on July 27. Hopes are the newly paved roads will be approved by the Ohio Department of Transportation for the Ohio 49 route.

Currently, the highway follows Elm Street from the south, turns west on Boundary Street at the corner of Monument Park, turns north again on Wayne Street and then turns west again at Broadway Street. The new route would follow Elm Street north all the way to Broadway Street and then turn west.

Reconstruction will follow Broadway Street from the intersections of Wayne and First streets. The Elm Street reconstruction will be between Butler and Broadway streets. Both projects include completely rebuilding the street, meaning construction workers will put in a new base, new asphalt and new stormwater catch basins. Broadway Street will get about 14 new catch basins, and Elm Street will get about four. Diller estimated the street will be widened to measure about 44 feet from curb to curb. Some areas are currently wider than others, so the project will help to make the whole street more uniform. The turning radius will also be wide enough for semis to easily maneuver.

Ryan Lefeld, project engineer from Choice One Engineering in Sidney, Ohio, said truck traffic through the downtown area tends to get congested, so the reconstruction should help alleviate the issue. He noted that Broadway Street has had water and sewer separation work done in the past few years.

“Infrastructure’s in pretty poor shape, so it’s time for improvement,” Lefeld said.

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Broadway and Elm streets are also getting new sidewalks, curbs and lighting. Broadway Street will get about eight new street lamps, and Elm will get about five.

Residents of Broadway Mobile Court travel on foot along Broadway Street every day to visit the post office or bank, Diller said. Those residents must either walk in the grass or the street.

“So obviously, from a safety standpoint, we want to improve that,” he said.

Gary and Karen Hargis, Elm Street property owners, said they are ready for the reconstruction. Both are excited about the new lights, which will be styled like old-fashioned street lamps.

Gary Hargis retired last year from Carr Supply in Greenville, Ohio. Sharing his experience as a former truck driver, he said the tight turns oh Ohio 49 in Fort Recovery are difficult to maneuver with a large truck or semi. On any given day, he added, he and his wife see three or four trucks attempt the turn.

“The main thing it’s going to do is really help the truck industry because, you know, we sit right there and watch (trucks) turn in front of our house,” he said, noting how it holds up traffic on Ohio 49.

Karen Hargis added that, when she and Gary moved to Fort Recovery about 40 years ago, community members had been discussing the possibility of such a project.

“It’s going to be a big change for this little town, but it’s something they’ve wanted to do for years,” Gary Hargis said.