The Mount Vernon City Council on May 11 approved seeking an Ohio Department of Transportation grant to help fund the West Burgess and North Sandusky Street project to help with truck traffic near the Heartland Commerce Park.
The council's decision is intended to improve infrastructure in an area designated for heavy truck use, with a focus on supporting jobs and commerce. The project is estimated at $355,296, with ODOT offering $180,000 toward the cost. The city must act quickly because the funds are from a previous fiscal year and must be used or they will be reallocated. The city has until the end of 2027 to utilize them, according to a video recording of the meeting.
"I think this makes sense. This is the one place in town we do want heavy trucks, and so it makes sense to build the infrastructure for them," said City Council member Mel Severns.
City Engineer Brian Ball said the grant focuses on jobs and commerce. He said that Sam Filkins from the Area Development Foundation has been working hard to get Heartland Commerce Park reopened and noted that growing pains have occurred with truck routing. Ball also explained that basics of the project were planned in 2017 but were put on hold after Siemens plant closure. The Land Bank acquired property at North Sandusky and Burgess streets, which will help round out corners for better truck routing. Planned improvements include significant road base repairs as well as sidewalk and driveway apron upgrades; however, drive improvements will end at right-of-way lines since ODOT funds can only be spent on public roads. Becker Mining Systems will manufacture large equipment at Heartland that will travel across Greenwood and be placed on railroads, requiring reinforced drive aprons.
Safety Service Director Tanner Salyers said that the project is not intended to benefit any particular business but rather assist with jobs and commerce overall. Increasing turn radius should decrease complaints about heavy trucks damaging new sidewalks. The project includes installing new sidewalks in addition to rounding intersection corners, according to a video recording of the meeting.
