Service Director Mister Capizello reported to the Salem City Council that the city obtained approval from the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) for a grant to address a bridge/culvert on Pennsylvania Avenue valued at approximately $1.961 million.

"We just recently got approval from ODOT, for a bridge that I didn't know we had on Pennsylvania Avenue... That grant was for almost $2,000,000. It was 1.961," Capizello said. He said the work is expected to take place in coming years and that ODOT funding is not scheduled until a later fiscal cycle.

Capizello also updated council on the South Lincoln Overpass project, saying the governor had agreed to go forward with the project at the state level but that it still needed approval in Washington, D.C. If federal approval were secured, current projections place the project several years out (Capizello referenced a 2030 timeline in his remarks). He said the local match was preliminarily estimated at about $500,000 to be split between the city and the county, and noted timing and exact local-share details were still preliminary.

Capizello asked council members to note that large transportation projects follow long timelines and that federal approvals and funding cycles affect when construction would begin. He offered to answer questions about prioritization and scheduling.

Next steps: staff will continue coordination with ODOT and state/federal partners; specific project schedules and final local match figures were not resolved during the meeting.