Wednesday, August 31st, 2016
County OKs $2.1M work on Mud Pike
By Jared Mauch
CELINA - The intersections of Fleetfoot and Hellwarth roads with Mud Pike soon will be straightened and aligned, and Mud Pike will be widened between state Route 118 and the city.
Mercer County commissioners on Tuesday unanimously approved a bid of about $2.1 million from Shinn Brothers Inc. to improve the 3.58 miles of roadway.
Mercer County Engineer Jim Wiechart's initial estimate for the project was about $2.3 million and bids were opened earlier this month.
Funding for the improvements mostly will come from federal highway safety improvement money. About 20 percent of the project will be paid with county road and bridge funds, Wiechart said.
The federal funding was obtained in part due to vehicle accident data for the stretch of road and intersections submitted during an application process. The data were not the deciding factor in receiving the funding, but they did help, Wiechart added.
Fleetfoot Road south of Mud Pike will be aligned with the north side of the intersection. Hellwarth Road north of Mud Pike will be aligned with the southern part of the road, Wiechart said.
Mud Pike from city limits to state Route 118 will be widened to 26 feet. The current width fluctuates with the widest sections at 22 feet, he added.
Wiechart said Tuesday the work could start as soon as October or November, depending on weather conditions. Drainage work along the roadway would begin first. The completion deadline is October 2017.
Commissioners also approved a building use agreement with Select International Inc. for the Ohio Means Jobs Training Room in the Mercer County Central Services Building. Select International will conduct the company's employment testing in the room from September to December, according to the agreement.
Rent for the room will be set at $25 per day and go to the central services building fund. The company also has an agreement with the Department of Job and Family Services to use some of its workers as proctors if necessary and would pay JFS $30 per day if Select Services goes with that route.
