‘Been a lot of accidents;’ Improvements coming to Dayton roadway next year
The City of Dayton is hoping to improve a stretch of road that residents call a nightmare.
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News Center 7′s Mike Campbell spoke with city commissioners about what they’re doing to make a section of Wayne Avenue from Waldo Street down to Wyoming a little smoother.
Residents are going to have to wait another year for the road improvement.
“Well, they should because there’s a lot of accidents here too, people pulling out,” Dayton resident Craig Stokes said.
Stokes said in this section of Wayne Avenue, the road is narrow and right now it is very rough to pass through.
“Literally, our dining room shakes man, I don’t know how else to say it, that’s what it is,” Stokes said.
The noise generated by vehicles and trailers bouncing and bumping down the street is loud, and drivers wonder how much damage is being done to their vehicles.
But the city is almost ready to make an upgrade.
“We’re going to completely tear everything out, curbs, sidewalks, the pavement, the base, it’s all coming new,” City Civil Engineer Joe Weinel said.
Weinel said he’s been working on this project for four to five years.
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SKY 7 looked at where the project is. It stretches a quarter mile long from Esther Price Candies to Wyoming Street.
A left turn lane will make the road 5 lanes wide.
“That is the whole reason pushing this project, there’s been a lot of accidents turning into Walgreens and Kroger’s,” Weinel said.
The project is set to begin next year in 2024, and that’s why the road isn’t paved now.
“Waste of taxpayer money to pave it and then tear it up one year later,” Weinel said.
The city hopes to start work next April to have the road widened and make it smoother for drivers before the end of 2024.
“I hope so because that wakes me up at night,” Stokes said.
The price tag for this project is estimated at about $2.4 million, however, it’s a leveraged project with about 75% federal funds and state money.
Dayton taxpayers will only have to pay about 10% of the total cost, which should be about $240,000.
