Projects & Initiatives

Bridge is now open.

The West Bath Road Bridge was closed for 150 days starting June 3, 2019. This project is on schedule to reopen November 1, 2019. Downtime was built into the project schedule in order for engineers to analyze bridge beams, complete the final design, and order the steel needed after determining how much of the current bridge was still useable. This project includes rehabilitation of the existing three-span, continuous steel beam structure (Structure No. AKR-048-0615) carrying West Bath Road (CR 48) over the Cuyahoga River. Rehabilitation items include: new reinforced concrete deck, new bridge railing, structural steel repairs, field painting of structural steel, substructure repairs, new reinforced concrete approach slabs, and minimal approach roadway work (pavement, drainage, guardrail, etc.) necessary to tie-in to the bridge. JD Williamson was the contractor on this $1.2 million dollar design-build project. 

The Department of the Interior has an annual grant program called the Federal Lands Access Program, offering up to approximately $300,000 per project for roads that access national parks. For the last several grant cycles SCE has applied for funding to improve Boston Mills Road, starting at the Riverview Road intersection, to complement the work CVNP is doing to create a centralized visitor’s center for the national park. In the third round of funding SCE applied for funding to complete a geotechnical study of the entire Boston Mills corridor which has at least 7 active landslides. This study will include 25 boring holes with an average depth of each hole 86 feet, numerous and various types of soil sampling and soil testing including laboratory testing for soil strength. A consulting firm will also perform non-destructive seismic testing – sending shock waves in to the hillside to determine the speed the waves travel through the ground giving an approximation of the depth and strength of the underlying geological strata of the hill side. Final product will be an analysis of the depth of the various landslides investigated, a recommendation of how to repair the single most critical slide location plus a cost estimate to repair the seven studied locations using a proration of the worst site. 

This $12.2 million dollar safety improvement project is being administerd by the Ohio Department of Transportation. ODOT controls three of four legs of the intersection with Summit County responsible for the southern leg. The project will widen Canton Road/SR 91 to create a northbound dual left turn lane, eastbound right turn lane, proper eastbound left & southbound left storage length at the US-224 intersection. On Canton Road (CR-66) south of US-224, they will construct raised concrete median from US-224 to approximately 150 feet south of the Arcadia and Meadow intersection. Canton Road will be widened for a two way left turn lane south of Arcadia to Springfield Lake Drive and on State Route 91 from Old Home north to Linwood. There will be dedicated U-Turns on Canton Road at Springfield Lake Drive and on State Route 91 at Linwood. The project includes City of Akron waterline replacement within the project limits. Springfield Township and the Village of Lakemore are participating financially in the construction of decorative lighting units and landscaping along the corridor.

This project is substantially complete, with additional clean-up work to be done in the spring of 2020. This project resurfaced Medina Line Road from State Route 18 to Granger Road, including full and partial depth repairs, shoulder reconstruction, drainage repairs, pavement markings, curbing, guardrail, loop detector replacement, and driveway approaches. This project also included paving four foot wide shoulders, making the roadway safer for cyclists and pedestrians. 

The Ohio Department of Transportation is administering this intersection improvement project. Summit County owns and maintains Cleveland-Massillon Road in Copley Township and ODOT owns and maintains State Route 162. The project calls for the installation of an eastbound left turn lane on State Route 162 and a southbound right turn lane on Cleveland-Massillon Road. 

This intersection is now open. Please use caution through the intersection, the traffic pattern has changed and there is now a continuous right turn lane from Cleve-Mass Road onto Ghent Road. Additional work will be needed periodically to install the permanent signal poles but the road will remain open. This project involved realigning the intersection from a "Y" shaped intersection to the more traditional "T" shaped intersection. The project also includes adding a continuous right turn lane from Cleveland Massillon Road to Ghent Road. Work began April 13th with an Cleveland Massillon Road road closure date of May 13th. 

The Pavement Maintenance Program includes hot mix resurfacing, chip and seal resurfacing, motor paving, asphalt rejuvenation, crack sealing, and pavement marking on various County roads. The list of roads is below.  

405 resurfacing is also known as Motor Paving. The contractor uses a stationary plant on-site to prepare the asphalt mixture, places it on the roadway, and compacts the mixture with a roller. 422 (chip seal) is then placed on top of the 405.

422 resurfacing is also known as a chip seal. The contractor places an asphalt emulsion on the roadway, spreads gravel on top of the emulsion, compacts the stone into the emulsion with a roller, and then sweeps the excess gravel from the road the same day. Sweeps are repeated about a week later to ensure loose gravel is completely removed from the roadway.

448 resurfacing is also known as Hot Mix Asphalt. The asphalt is prepared in an asphalt plant, transported to the site in heated trucks, placed on the roadway in the desired thickness, and then compacted with a roller.  448 is the most durable (and most expensive) asphalt pavement and resists rutting and can handle heavier traffic loads more than 405 and 422 resurfacing.  It is used in locations that have heavy traffic and a high percentage of truck traffic.

Cold Constructed Asphalt resurfacing is similar to the 405 resurfacing, with difference being the contractor will mix the stone and emulsion off-site at the asphalt plant and then transport it on-site and apply it with a paver. 

Asphalt Rejuvenation: An asphalt rejuvenating agent is applied to hot mix asphalt pavement that was placed one or two years ago.  The agent restores flexibility and water resilience that the asphalt surface lost due to weathering and the passage of time. Forty-five minutes after the rejuvenating agent is applied, sand is placed over the agent to absorb excess agent and provide enhanced vehicle traction.  One week later, the excess sand will be swept from the road surface.

Crack sealing is a method in which hot sealant is applied to existing cracks in the roadway to prevent water intrusion.

This project includes rehabilitation of the existing three-span, continuous steel beam structure (Structure No. NOR-040-0157) carrying Brandywine Rd (CR 40) over the Brandywine Creek. Rehabilitation items include: new reinforced concrete deck, new bridge railing, new beam bearings, structural steel repairs, field painting of structural steel, substructure repairs, new reinforced concrete approach slabs, and minimal approach roadway work (pavement, drainage, guardrail, etc.) necessary to tie-in to existing. Traffic will be detoured during construction.

Public Notice

Boston Township, Ohio – Alan Brubaker, P.E., P.S., Summit County Engineer, would like to alert residents and motorists of a proposed road improvement project on Boston Mills Road located in Boston Township. The Summit County Engineer’s Office is taking public comments on the proposed project. Current plans call for the road to be closed for 120 days.

The proposed improvement consists of upgrading approximately 3,100 feet of Boston Mills Road starting at 1,200 feet west of Riverview Road and extending to the west. The project will include milling the existing pavement, widening the paved shoulder, replacing the existing storm sewer, installing curb, making pavement repairs as needed, applying leveling and surface courses of asphalt, and applying new pavement markings.

Plans, specifications, and cost projections are complete and construction is anticipated to begin next spring.

The official detour for the closure of Boston Mills Road will route traffic along Riverview Road to Columbia Road to Black Road. The detour route will be in effect for 120 days.

Any comments or questions should be submitted to Joe Paradise, P.E., Deputy Director of Engineering Services at jparadise@summitengineer.net or mailed to the Summit County Engineer, 538 East South Street, Akron Ohio  44311. 

The environmental review, consultation, and other actions required by applicable Federal environmental laws for this project are being, or have been, carried-out by ODOT pursuant to 23 U.S.C. 327 and a Memorandum of Understanding dated December 11, 2015, and executed by FHWA and ODOT.

Replace Wright Road Bridge over Pigeon Creek (SUM-CR206-1.50).  The work includes removal of existing bridge and replacement with a new composite box beam bridge on new foundations.  Additional work includes subgrade stabilization, new approach slabs, guardrail and maitenance of traffic.

Estimate $794,335.01

Contract amount: $701,371.70

Completion Date September 30, 2020

This project is substantially complete as of 6/9/20.The Summit County Engineer's office received federal funding through the Surface Transportation Program, awarded through AMATS, for the resurfacing and improvement of Portage Lakes Drive. The resurfacing, including pavement and base repairs, shoulder reconstruction, pavement markings, drainage repairs, curbing, guardrail, loop detector replacement and driveway approaches on Portage Lakes Drive from State Route 93 to Cormany Rd.

Mannik & Smith Group has been hired to design a landslide stabilization project on W. Bath Road from N. Revere Road to 500 feet east of the intersection. Repairs will include both the north and south embankment of the roadway.

**This bridge is now open to traffic** 

Located in the City of Cuyahoga Falls, north of the Riverview Road intersection with Bolanz Road, the existing bridge is to be reconstructed in 2020. The work will include replacing the bridge deck and  portions of the piers and abutments supporting the bridge deck.  A new precast concrete box beam structure will be constructed on top of the reconstructed support members and a new concrete deck will be poured on top of the box beams. Construction started in February and the bridge reopen contract date is June 15, 2020. 

Highway improvement project consisting of upgrading approximately 0.94 miles of Canton Rd. (CH 66) from Salmon Dr. north to the Tri-County Shopping Plaza (approximately 500 feet south of Springfield Lake Dr.).  The project includes milling the existing pavement, making pavement repairs as directed, and applying pavement markings. Barbicas Construction plans to start work mid-July and is coordinating traffic control with the Canton Road/SR 91/US 224 intersection improvement project contractor. 

Engineer's Estimate; $465,727.57

Contract Amount: $383,821.89

During a heavy rain storm late Memorial Day afternoon, Monday 5/25, 2.25 inches of rain fell in approximately 40 minutes causing a surge of water in Slipper Run passing under Riverview Road. A tree floating down stream was caught in the culvert type bridge passing under Riverview Road. The blockage caused the stream to rise and forced the upstream end of the culvert to bend upward at an angle of approximately 40 degrees. After bending upward, the culvert tore away from the remaining 1913 constructed stone arch that passes under the roadway. This resulted in a portion of the embankment along the west side of Riverview Road to erode and wash down stream. The resulting damage to the remainder of the culvert is under investigation. The bridge is currently closed. 

This project will improve the intersection of Cleveland Massillon Road at the western leg of Ridgewood Road on the border between Copley Township and the City of Fairlawn. 

The proposed improvement will:

• Provide a new south bound right turn lane on Cleveland Massillon Road from the Rothrock Circle intersection to Ridgewood Road, 
• Provide a new east bound left turn lane on Ridgewood Road at the intersection and extending 400 feet to the west.
• Require the acquisition (donation) of land from the Copley School District to accommodate the new turn lanes,
• Reconstruct the existing traffic signal installation, including new signal supports, 
• Modify the existing storm water collection basin near the intersection.

The environmental review, consultation, and other actions required by applicable Federal environmental laws for this project are being, or have been, carried-out by ODOT pursuant to 23 U.S.C. 327 and a Memorandum of Understanding dated December 11, 2015, and executed by FHWA and ODOT.