Stretch between VFW hall and Coal Grove to be paved next year

It looks that, after years of complaints, the stretch of South Third Street from the VFW Post 8850 hall to Icy Creek will be paved next year. The project has gone out to bid, but it is too late to pave before next spring.

However, the project includes replacing more than a mile of pipes along South Third Street to alleviate flooding that occurs when the aging pipes break.

“It feels like we have been working for what seems like my entire term,” said Ironton Mayor Sam Cramblit. He called the road a “Frankenstein road,” since it has around 90-100 patches on the three-quarter mile stretch of road.

The project has transformed over time. Under his predecessor, Katrina Keith, the mayor’s office got a $300,000 grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission for the economic development in that area. Cramblit started searching for federal funds. In April, U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, announced Ironton would be getting $2 million in federal funding to improve the roads and water lines in the area around the city’s industrial park.

When the city accepted the $2 million grant, the original ARC grant had to be repurposed because of a law that prevents two federal funding sources paying for the same project. However, they can use state funds, so they got over $300,000 in state grants for it. Local matching funds were also used making the total funds available for the project around $2.8 million for the road and water line repair and replacement. The ARC grant was used to pave other roads around Ironton.

Cramblitt said they will replace just under a mile and half of 10-inch water lines, which will go down South Third Street, cut through the alley behind Discount Tire Service, go up to Fifth Street and then down Fifth Street to McGovney Street and then loop back to South Third Street.

The lines are old and prone to breaking when the ground freezes and thaws. That has led to some residents facing frequent basement flooding.

“These lines will help those businesses in the industrial area as well as help attract more businesses to the area,” Cramblit said. “We are very grateful for all the federal money we have received. It isn’t COVID funding, it is specifically for economic development.”

Bidding on the project will start today (Nov. 18) and ads will run in The Ironton Tribune and bidexpress.com.

Bids will be opened on Dec. 12.

“At that point, we won’t be doing any road paving because the asphalt plants are closed down at the end of November,” Cramblit said. “But they can get started on pipe infrastructure as soon as the bids are awarded and signed.”