Major improvements planned for main drag in Newton Falls

Two temporary bridge closures are planned as part of a $1.4 million dollar facelift for the main roads going through downtown Newton Falls.

The Ohio Department of Transportation said it plans to begin work next spring on improving more than a mile of State Route 534 from Milton Boulevard North to Grand Boulevard.

The streets included in the project are also known as Ridge Road and Broad Street, which runs through the heart of downtown.

In addition to milling and resurfacing, improvements include partial-depth pavement repairs, painting pavement markings, and manhole adjustments.

Also, the bridge spanning the East Branch of the Mahoning River will be rehabilitated by replacing the deteriorated bridge deck and approach.

The $1,445,000 project is scheduled to begin construction in the spring of 2019.

ODOT says it plans to maintain at least one traffic lane in each direction during the project.

The one exception will be the closing of the bridge over the river to pedestrian and vehicular traffic for as many as sixty days to replace the concrete deck.

The official detour route for the bridge closure will be Interstate Route 76, to State Route 225 to State Route 5.

In addition, the Newton Falls/Arlington Boulevard Covered Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic for the 120-day duration of the project, to install a temporary natural gas line and maintain natural gas service to customers on both sides of the river.

Construction, lane restriction, bridge closure, and detour information will be posted along SR 534 and intersecting side streets and on the ODOT District 4 web page, www.transportation.ohio.gov/dist4, prior to the start of project construction.

ODOT says access will be maintained to all adjacent properties, businesses and intersecting side streets during the project.