By Dedra Cordle
Staff Writer
Infrastructure improvements will soon be coming to two of the most well-traveled and well-worn roads in Jackson Township.
At a recent board of trustees meeting, Administrator Shane Farnsworth announced that the township has been awarded a state capital improvement grant from the Ohio Public Works Commission that will fund a “much needed” project to rehabilitate Brown Road and Dyer Road.
“I am absolutely ecstatic that we were selected as a recipient of this grant,” said Farnsworth. “While we were confident when we applied for this grant last year that we might receive some funding for this project, we also knew it might be a little bit tougher because there was so much competition out there with all of the cities and municipalities vying for these dollars for their own projects.
“The fact that we were selected to receive funds through the state capital improvement grant program just shows that the commission saw the need for these major roadways to be repaired – and they absolutely do need these much needed repairs.”
Under the terms of the grant, the state will fund nearly 77 percent of the estimated $457,000 resurfacing and repair project. The remaining 23 percent, or roughly $154,000, will be covered through a partnership between the township and the county engineer’s office.
Farnsworth said that their local match for the project will be funded through a zero percent interest loan. He added that the township should not have any trouble covering the cost of their share for the resurfacing and repair project.
“As a township, we are in good shape financially and we have been good stewards with our tax dollars,” he said.
The resurfacing and repair of Brown Road and Dyer Road is slated for the summer of 2024.
According to Farnsworth, this project will resurface the length of the roadways that are under township jurisdiction and widen the curbs that are featured on the roadways. The intersection of Brown Road and Dyer Road will also be improved by increasing the turn radius to accommodate the vehicular traffic flow.
Stormwater repairs will also be a feature of the project.
“Much of the stormwater infrastructure on Brown Road and Dyer Road has been crushed from all of the dump trucks and other heavy-load vehicles that have been traveling through for years,” said Farnsworth. “So all of these areas where the water just lays there now without draining should see a real improvement in the drainage of the water.”
Farnsworth reiterated that the township feels “fortunate” to have received this grant through the state.
“We just feel so fortunate and we are so excited to have been selected as one of the municipalities to receive the state capital improvement grant,” he said. “It has been a very long time since Brown Road and Dyer Road have seen any resurfacing improvements and other repairs and I think this project will go a long way toward keeping these roads safer for the residents and safer for the motorists for years to come.”
