About 25 people attended a recent public meeting on the recent update of the Rt. 82 widening project. The meeting took place on Tuesday, October 9, at Royal Redeemer Church, hosted by the Cuyahoga County Department of Public Works and contractor, DiGioia-Suburban Excavating, regarding the widening and reconstruction of sections of Royalton Road between West 130 Street and York Road.
The widening project will convert the current Rt. 82 area from a two lane road to a three lane road, with six-foot sidewalks and seven-foot tree lawns one each side, as well as two 15-foot lanes and an 11-foot turning lane, completing a span of 78 feet. The lanes will be wider than the current lanes. The West 130 to York Road portion of the Royalton Road project is being sponsored by Cuyahoga County and estimated at $14.5 million for construction and construction administration costs
Ultimately, the widening of Royalton Road will be done in three phases, with this first section between West 130th Street to York Road. The subsequent sections of Rt. 82 will then be widened, between York and Ridge Roads, and Ridge Road to the North Royalton eastern border with Broadview Heights. The widening project is also expected to include widening intersections, traffic light improvement, installation of storm sewers, culvert improvement/replacement, sanitary improvement and storm water detention basin construction.
The project will begin just west of the Walnut Hills Drive/Rt. 82 intersection and continue east to just west of the York Road/Rt. 82 intersection. Land acquisitions have taken place and the trees have been removed from the area. Utility prep work has taken place and the project has been scheduled to begin in early November.
Don Holmok, senior estimator for DiGioia presented the timberline for the project, noting that two-way traffic will be continually maintained during the widening project. Holmok said that the project is scheduled to begin on November 5, when they will be putting in temporary pavement on the north side of Rt. 82 from western to the bridge. A new water line and storm sewer will then be installed on the south side of the road. “We will also be working on the culvert in valley,” he said. This work will continue through the winter months.
In spring, 2019, “we will remove the pavement and install new pavement from the west, up to approximately in front of our office,” said Holmok. He noted that work on side streets and sideway brims will be included. “We will do the south side first.”
“Then, in the winter of 2019/2020, we will go from the bridge to York Road, doing the exact same thing,” said Holmok. He said that the entire section of the project should be 90% complete by the end of the season in 2020. “We have until July, 2021 for clean up and anything we haven’t completed.”
By GLORIA PLEVA KACIK
Contributing Writer