State funding clears way for Martins Ferry Sixth Street repairs

MARTINS FERRY -- Martins Ferry is moving forward with plans to repair the Sixth Street extension after securing $750,000 in assistance through the Ohio Public Works Commission.

City Council on Wednesday approved a resolution authorizing the city to submit the necessary application to the Ohio Public Works Commission's State Capital Improvement and/or Local Transportation Improvement programs and execute contracts required for the project.

The funding includes a $675,000 emergency grant and a $75,000 interest-free loan that the city will repay over 20 years.

The money will be used for repairs to the Sixth Street extension, where a slip and sewer-related problems have raised concerns about the condition of the roadway and infrastructure beneath it.

City Service Director Andy Sutak previously told council he had received an engineer's report on the Sixth Street slip and wanted the Street Committee to meet to discuss funding and the scope of the project.

The project is expected to cost approximately $1 million, meaning the city will have to cover costs beyond the $750,000 in state assistance.

The funding represents a change from earlier this year, when Martins Ferry was rejected for emergency grant funding for the project. Sutak contacted state representatives, who encouraged the city to reapply with additional photographs documenting the damage.

The Sixth Street project became a priority after a sinkhole developed when a boulder blocked a sewer line, causing water to back up beneath the roadway. The damaged section was repaired and repaved, but officials have said the incident is an example of the larger infrastructure problems facing the city.

During Wednesday's meeting, officials again discussed the challenge of paying for needed repairs throughout Martins Ferry.

Sutak previously said the city's infrastructure needs extend beyond Sixth Street, including aging water and sewer lines, pumps and valves, and Mayor John Davies has said securing funding will be critical to addressing the city's infrastructure problems.