Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Lee Road Reconstruction topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee forwards nearly $2.2 million engineer amendment for Lee Road reconstruction design
Summary
The committee favorably referred a contract amendment with Chagrin Valley Engineering to complete preliminary and detailed design work for Lee Road reconstruction in Shaker Heights and Cleveland; the full reconstruction will be largely federally funded with county and municipal matches.
The Cuyahoga County Council Public Works Committee voted to favorably refer an amendment to contract number 5012 with Chagrin Valley Engineering to complete multi-phase design work for the Lee Road reconstruction project in Shaker Heights and Cleveland.
Eric Mack of the Department of Public Works described the project as three linked federally sponsored components: initial Shaker Heights preliminary design (previously authorized), Cleveland preliminary design, and Shaker Heights detailed design. The amendment covers part 2 (Cleveland preliminary design, about $700,000) and part 3 (Shaker Heights detailed design, nearly $1,500,000) for a combined design amendment of roughly $2,200,000; a separate fourth part (Cleveland final design) was noted as coming next year.
Project scope and schedule: Lee Road covers approximately 3.0 miles total (about 1.9 miles in Shaker Heights and 1.1 miles in Cleveland). Mack said the Shaker portion is scheduled to be advertised for construction in 2026 and built across 2026'27; Cleveland's portion is scheduled to be advertised in 2027 and built across 2027'28. The Shaker reconstruction is estimated at about $21,000,000; Cleveland's portion is estimated at $17,700,000.
Funding and responsibilities: Mack said both projects are funded approximately 80% with federal dollars, with the county contributing $1,000,000 to each project. Under the current cost-sharing model, Shaker Heights would contribute about $3,300,000 and Cleveland about $1,400,000 toward their respective projects; Cleveland remains engaged in seeking additional grants. Reported funding sources include federal grant programs, ODOT safety funds, CMAQ (air quality) funds, SIB loan and Transportation Alternatives (TA) funds, among others.
Design coordination and local issues: Cleveland has an underground relief sewer (a tunnel about 40 feet below the road) that must be constructed before the road reconstruction to avoid breaking a newly rebuilt street. The department said designers will include a west-side pedestrian and multi-use trail that will connect to Shaker Lakes at the north end and tie into other regional paths.
Procurement and equity goals: Mack said the county sought a single consultant to maintain design consistency along the corridor; the contract amendment preserves that continuity. The department will follow its disadvantaged/inclusion goals for the consultant work: 19% SBE, 8% MBE and 3% WBE.
Committee action: The committee moved to favorably refer Resolution 20250238 (authorizing the amendment to contract number 5012 with Chagrin Valley Engineering) to the full council for second reading; no suspension was requested. The transcript records a voice vote with the result "ayes have it." No roll-call tally with named votes appears in the transcript.
What was not decided: Final construction contracts, exact grant awards for Cleveland's remaining gap and the fourth contract phase were not approved at the committee meeting; those items will return to the committee or full council when ready.
Next steps: The referral places the amendment on the full council agenda for second reading on August 5. Staff will proceed with public involvement and design tasks for Cleveland once the contract amendment is finalized and will continue grant-seeking for Cleveland's share.
