Independence signs cooperative agreement for Rockside Road rehabilitation; project estimated at roughly $5 million

Council members placed a joint cooperative agreement with Cuyahoga County on the consent agenda and approved moving forward on a planned rehabilitation of Rockside Road on Aug. 12.

City staff said the project focuses on full-depth joint and slab repairs, catch-basin work and related improvements on the concrete portions of Rockside Road from about 700 feet west of Lombardo Center to State Route 21. An engineering estimate presented in committee put the project near $5 million. The Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency (NOACA) has committed $4 million toward the work, and the county has offered additional support, with staff saying the county contributed about $600,000 as part of the cooperative agreement.

Engineering and procurement will be led by Cuyahoga County as the project’s lead agency; city staff said that some engineering and construction management costs will be allocated to the city in future years. Staff noted construction is expected in 2029, with engineering and preparatory work occurring earlier in the schedule.

City officials said the plan is to use joint procurement and county oversight to coordinate repairs that cross municipal boundaries and to maximize available grant funds. The ordinance authorizing the joint agreement was placed on the consent agenda and included in the package of measures adopted by the council at the meeting.