Mount Vernon Avenue bridge reopens to two-way traffic

The Mount Vernon Avenue bridge reopened to two-way traffic on Dec. 11, ahead of schedule, Mayor Matt Starr said.

“There will be future lane restrictions as we work to complete the rest of the construction project,” he said.

Workers were putting down paint on Friday afternoon; and once the paint dried enough, the traffic signal was removed.

The project schedule was to reopen at the end of the year.

The final cost of the bridge project may exceed $7.5 million. The Ohio Department of Transportation providing almost $4.5 million in funding, including grants of $1.24 million for the north bike trail and $737,129 for the south bike trail. Mount Vernon has spent approximately $650,000 on design, real estate and environmental permits. Its share of the construction costs may reach $2.5 million, but that depends on the final construction costs.

Business grants

As a community, more than $572,000 has been given to 49 Knox County businesses in grants and loans for pandemic relief, Starr said.

$450,000 in grants were awarded, with the remaining funds given through the revolving loan fund.

Knox County, Mount Vernon and the Village of Gambier contributed to the Knox County Area Development Foundation COVID-19 Emergency Business Grant program.

“It kept some businesses alive,” Starr said. “It’s something we can be proud of.”

Cemetery, public buildings and lands

The department spent time in cleanup projects around Mount Vernon, Starr said.

It was the first week of the city’s new Public Works Department, which includes the cemetery and public buildings, land, streets and parks.

Streets

Quite a number of repairs were done to complete the stormwater project at Cochocton and Eastward Drive, Starr said.

Crews also cleaned out catch basins along Sychar Addition.

“And we’ve also begun with cold patching,” the mayor said. “In Ohio there are two seasons: There’s hot mix and cold mix.”

To report a pothole on city streets, call the Street Department at 740-395-0107.

A stormwater issue is being addressed at Aerial-Foundation Park to get the water away from some of the structures

“And that’s going to take some doing,” Starr said.

Public utilities

Another assistant director is being hired for Public Utilities; as Director Mathias Orndorf plans to retire. He’ll take a lot of knowledge with him.

“And so we're trying to get the structure in place to make sure that we can continue with the smooth transition,” Starr said.