While Richland Avenue gets its long-awaited facelift this summer, another one of Athens’ main arteries — West Union Street — will see its own share of construction.
And a two-week-old grant from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency will help make that happen.
The $104,715 grant allows the city to expand the road renovation project, according to Third Ward Democrat Michele Papai, who brought up discussion of the grant Monday night at Athens City Council. The EPA specifically granted the money for Athens’ surface water improvement plan, Papai said, which is part of the West Union Street project.
The plan is designed to reduce water runoff from the street while also improving its pavement for drivers and cyclists.
“Ultimately, this is a project where we are able to get a lot more done than we would otherwise because of the grant money we received,” Papai said.
Papai added that Athens competed with 83 applications statewide, and that 23 overall were funded.
The grant bumps the project’s possible price tag up to more than $1.3 million, Papai said, and a contractor has already agreed to work on the project for slightly less than that amount.
Before the city can officially get its hands on the money, an outline of how the funds will be used needs to be laid out, she said.
Papai also introduced an ordinance to appropriate another $51,000 toward the project, and it passed an emergency approval. The project should be completed before Ohio University’s fall semester starts.
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