$19 million for Kent Main Street project approved by AMATS

Regional planners have approved funding for the $19 million reconstruction of East Main Street (state Route 59) in Kent.

A $2.9 million reconstruction of the intersection of state routes 14 and 43 in Streetsboro was also cleared as part of nearly $1 billion allocated Thursday by the Akron Metropolitan Area Transportation Study, a regional agency that determines how federal and state transportation dollars are spent.

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Spanning fiscal years 2024 through 2027, the new $938.5 million Transportation Improvement Program includes about $523 million for highway projects, mostly for resurfacing, nearly $400 million for public transit needs and $16 million for bike and pedestrian projects throughout Portage and Summit counties and a portion of northeastern Wayne County.

“Capacity projects to add travel lanes on highways are among the most expensive to build. That’s why they only account for about 15% of this latest program. As an agency, we want our region’s available funding to be invested in communities based on need given today’s fiscal realities,” said David Pulay, Transportation Improvement Program coordinator.

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Roundabouts, left-turns planned for East Main Street

While final plans were not immediately available, improvements to East Main Street in Kent included roundabouts at the eastern and western ends of the project at Willow Street and Overlook Drive. The plans also changed access to many roads intersecting East Main Street from the north, including Willow Street, Lincoln Street, University Drive, Sherman Street, Linden Road, Wilson Avenue, Luther Avenue, Elmwood Drive, Frances Avenue, Fairview Drive and Overlook Drive.

In several locations where left turns are currently allowed, they won't be if the project goes forward as planned. Motorists also would only be able to enter those streets from the eastbound lanes, officials said at a community meeting on the project in 2021.

More: Community meetings set on $20 million East Main Street redesign in Kent

Most of the length of the project, with the exceptions of intersection approaches, will feature a tree-lined median and street trees on the north side of East Main Street, creating a tree-lined boulevard.

According to the city of Kent, the three-quarter mile stretch of road is one of the worst crash corridors in Summit and Portage counties.

I-77 widening expected to take four years

The Interstate 77 project would involve widening the highway from Ghent Road north to the Ohio Turnpike. The highway was built starting in 1961 as a four-lane, divided highway. As part of the widening, third northbound and southbound lanes would be built in the current median.

The first part of the project to be constructed, from Ghent Road to Everett Road, may begin as early as 2024 and should take two years, according to the Ohio Department of Transportation. A minimum of two lanes of traffic in each direction is expected to be maintained during construction.

A traffic noise analysis indicates construction of one noise wall at the Ghent Road interchange is justified if nearby residents and property owners who will be surveyed by ODOT support the wall's construction.

The department has determined that noise walls along the I-77 corridor do not meet ODOT's reasonable cost criteria, but the department plans to investigate the possible construction of earthen berms to provide some level of noise abatement to residential areas along the highway.

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Metro RTA, PARTA, bike and hike trails funded

Metro RTA of Summit County and the Portage Area Regional Transportation Authority (PARTA) will receive nearly $80 million in federal funding, with $64 million going to Summit County and nearly $14 million to Portage County for various capital projects. These projects include vehicle replacements, facility maintenance and bus stop improvements.

In Akron, Phase 4 construction of a portion of the Freedom Trail will receive $700,000 in federal funds. Another $700,000 in federal money will be used to build a connection on the Stow Hike & Bike Trail linking the communities of Cuyahoga Falls, Silver Lake, and Stow. Additional funds are also scheduled for engineering and construction for a portion of the Heartland Trail in Chippewa Township.

Eric Marotta can be reached at emarotta@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @MarottaEric.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: AMATS approves $19 million for Kent Main Street project