Mayor: Major Elyria road projects nearing completion

The city of Elyria announced on Friday that the ongoing work for the current phase of the city's East Side Relief Sewer project would be completed at the end of the summer. In a release posted to the city's Facebook page, Mayor Kevin Brubaker said the sewer relief project, centered around Gulf Road, would be complete by Labor Day, Sept. 2. He also said that the road projects on East Broad and Cleveland streets would be finished by November. "I know these projects have been a headache for many," Brubaker said in the release. "While we are all thankful for the funding from our state and federal partners, having to follow the dictated timelines has meant multiple projects going on at once. It hasn't been easy, especially for those living in these areas. I hope this news provides you with a bit of positivity now that it's all nearing completion." The work that is to be completed is just one phase of the larger $20 million sewer relief project, which is funded by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and is itself included in the city's agreement with the federal government which requires nearly $250 million in upgrades by 2044 to eliminate sewer discharges into the Black River. Both wastewater and stormwater sewers have been replaced, and when it was approved in June 2023, the project was slated to cost $2.8 million. "The new sewer will finally bring stormwater and wastewater to our treatment plant much more efficiently, providing relief to many neighborhoods and improving water quality in the Black River," Brubaker said in a release. The East Broad Street and Cleveland Street projects were focused on roadway reconstruction to improve traffic flow. East Broad Street will be widened to three lanes with a center turning lane, while Cleveland Street will be reduced from four lanes to three lanes with a center turning lane. The East Broad Street and Cleveland Street projects have seen intermittent lane changes and closures throughout the duration of work, and residents can check the city Facebook page for the latest updates. Weather could impact the actual dates that ongoing road projects wrap up, Brubaker said, but all of them should be completed by the end of fall. "Please remember weather can affect specific completion dates, sometimes by several days," he said. "You may see crews continue restoration work like cleanup and tree planting. But rest assured, the light at the end of the tunnel just got a whole lot brighter." Contact Owen MacMillan at (440) 329-7123 or omacmillan@chroniclet.com.