Pearl Road Widening Moving Despite $6 Million Shortfall

The city is forging ahead with the second phase of the Pearl Road widening project even though it has no way to pay for it -- yet.

Mayor Tom Perciak said last week that the city still plans to bid the $12 million project in May 2013, start construction that July and finish in October 2014.

"There are some bumps in the road, but we're moving ahead," Perciak said.

The "bumps" include a statewide road funding crisis that led to the  Ohio Department of Transportation  which seeks to widen Pearl from about Ellsworth south to the county line at Boston Road.

The loss of the grant appeared to stall the project till 2019.

But Perciak has seemed unfazed by the news. 

He said last week that are due to be finished in August, and the city still plans to start right-of-way acquisition this fall. 

Speaking at his annual State of the City address, Perciak said he had been to Columbus to lobby legislators to find grant money for the Pearl Road project, which he said is needed to open up access to undeveloped land in the industrial park.

He urged members of the audience to call State Rep. Mike Dovilla and State Sen. Tom Patton "and tell them how imortant it is to Strongsville that phase two be completed."

 "I need your help on this," Perciak said.

Last April, Strongsville officials learned the state had  of the Pearl Road widening project $6 million in state money.

A week later, the city hired Euthenics Inc., a Cleveland civil engineering firm, to design the plans for about $900,000.

The grant -- now delayed till 2019 -- was to pay almost half the cost of the $12.7 million project. The city planned to contribute $3 and was casting around for the additional $3.7 in other grants.