Council approves application for federal STP funds to resurface portion of State Route 619

New Franklin city council voted to authorize the mayor to apply for federal Surface Transportation Program funds programmed through the Akron Metropolitan Area Transportation Study to resurface a roughly 2,891-foot segment of State Route 619 that runs to the New Franklin corporate limit. The resolution passed 7-0.

The project scope described at the council meeting includes removal of the upper portions of the existing pavement and partial pavement repair followed by full resurfacing. A staff member said the pavement condition index on the segment is 64, below the AMATS threshold of 80 that qualifies a roadway for resurfacing. The staff member also said the average daily traffic on the segment is about 3,178 vehicles.

Estimated total cost for the project is about $639,000, with construction estimated at $625,000. Under the grant arrangement described at the meeting, AMATS would fund 90% of the construction cost — $562,491 — and the city’s local match would be about $62,500 (10%). The staff member said local engineering and right-of-way costs would be paid locally and estimated those at roughly $15,000.

Officials said the design and engineering phase is expected to begin sometime between April and December, with a target construction start of July 2025. The council approved Resolution 25R37, authorizing the mayor to submit the STP application and declaring an emergency.

The discussion was limited to technical details and clarifying questions about the roadway limits and schedule; no additional conditions were attached to the approval. Council members who asked questions were recorded as raising clarifying points about the exact segment and the project timeline.