Ohio Public Works Commission releases over $350 million for infrastructure

The Ohio Public Works Commission has announced a new round of cash to be distributed under it's Local Government Infrastructure Projects fund, totaling just over $353 million.

The funds, available to local governments statewide, will be used for road, drinking water, wastewater, stormwater, and bridge projects.

$22 million of the funds is on reserve for emergencies, available to "rectify infrastructure failures that pose an immediate threat to the health, safety, and welfare of the residents within a local government’s jurisdiction," according to a release from OPWC. 

Linda Bailiff, the Director of OPWC, said "Considering tight budgets and unexpected failures we see too often the cost of a single emergency surpassing a community’s entire annual budget for such repair work.”

The specially allocated funds hope to alleviate that issue. 

In OPWC District 6, which includes all of Mahoning and Trumbull Counties, the funds will contribute to the completion of 48 approved projects, including the rehabilitation of the incinerator at the Youngstown wastewater treatment plant, road resurfacing in Austintown, sanitary sewer improvements in Lowellville, and the repair of Grandview Avenue in Hubbard.

In Columbiana County, part of OPWC District 14, 11 projects will be funded including the replacement of the sanitary sewer in New Waterford, a wastewater pump station upgrade in East Liverpool, and wastewater treatment plant improvements in Wellsville.