Road projects in progress, planned in Amherst, Grafton

Milan Avenue will be closed between North Lake Street and North Main Street/5 Points for sewer repair starting at 6:45 a.m. today, the Amherst Police Department wrote on its Facebook page. The post will be updated when the road reopens, they wrote. Also, the Lorain County Board of Commissioners on Wednesday awarded a $338,000 contract to Karvo Companies of Stow for the North Ridge Road resurfacing project in Lorain County. The work involves resurfacing North Ridge Road from Baumhart Road in Brownhelm Township to Quarry Road in Amherst and will be finished on or before Oct. 31. Karvo's was the best of six bids were opened on May 5, the county announced. The Ohio Public Works Commission is providing $250,120 to the project costs, with the remaining $87,880 provided by the Lorain County Engineer's Office. Elsewhere in Lorain County: Grafton The village will host an informational public meeting at 6:30 p.m. May 31 at Village Hall to discuss upcoming construction projects, including improvements to streets in and around downtown. The first project involves construction on Novak Road, where a crosswalk and rectangular rapid flashing beacon will be installed for pedestrian safety — one of three such upcoming projects, the village announced on its Facebook page. Traffic will be maintained during construction, which will begin at Erie Street and proceed south to Mechanic Street. Access to all businesses will be maintained, the village said. The project also will include new sidewalks north and south from Erie to Mechanic streets, and the entire area will be resurfaced with new curbs, gutters and underground storm water conduits. The Parsons Road intersection will be adjusted 90 degrees to Main Street to improve Parsons Road motorists' north and south viewpoints of traffic, both vehicle and pedestrian, the village said. Parsons Road also will be resurfaced, though not as a part of the immediate project, beginning at Main Street heading west to village limits at Metro Parks Royal Oaks. "The pavement on the bridge approach and the bridge pavement is NOT a part of this resurfacing project," the village wrote. A second beacon and crosswalk will be installed at the south end of 779 N. Main St., about 275 feet south of the Parsons Road intersection. A third beacon will be installed at the Main Street and Mechanic Street intersection. The traffic signal will be removed, the intersection will become a two-way stop exiting Mechanic Street after an Ohio Department of Transportation study found the 1940s vintage stop light was not warranted, according to the village. Much of the project is funded by ODOT. Also included in the project will be downtown streetscape improvements, new ornate lighting and an increased turn radius southbound from Main Street to westbound Mechanic Street. Parking downtown, from Mechanic Street to Railroad Street, will change to reverse-in parking along the west side of state Route 57. The clock at Railroad Street also will be removed, refurbished and reinstalled in the same general area. Downtown parking will be limited at times, so motorists should consider parking at Village Hall and the Beckers Court public parking areas, the village said.