IRONTON — Following years of waiting, residents of Delaware Street are getting a much-needed surprise — a rebuilt and repaved road.

The Ohio Public Works Commission informed the city Thursday that state monies along with matching funds from both the county and city are available to mill and rehabilitate the North Ironton roadway.

The repaving covers the entire street, from North Second Street to where Delaware Street dead-ends. Mayor Rich Blankenship said he expects construction bids to be completed by June.

Blankenship said he wasn’t sure of an estimated total cost of the project but said the city’s matching share of the project would be around $5,000.

The repaving of Delaware St. has become a high-priority for some time as it will become the main traffic artery for the new Ironton Elementary and Middle schools scheduled to open in the fall.

Blankenship said he was “hopeful” the repaving would be complete by the time school started.

Delaware St. had been prioritized as one of the roadways marked for repaving under the city’s own 2009 street repair schedule.

However, the number of streets that get rehabilitated under the city’s 2009 street repair program depend on the amount of money available and if the city would have access to a new and cost-effective method to repave the asphalt streets of Ironton.

Monies for city projects come from gasoline and license plate taxes.