YOUNGSTOWN - Multiple roadways and trails within Mill Creek Park will remain closed for the next two years.

Road closed signs and detours were posted beginning Monday, December 29.

These closures are necessary to safely complete parts one and two of the $40 million Mill Creek Sewer Improvements Project, which will see the City of Youngstown upgrade wastewater infrastructure within the park.

The following roadways are closed:

- Tod Avenue between Irving Place and Weaver Road

- Weaver Road between Fellows Riverside Gardens and Tod Avenue/Price Road

- Price Road between Weaver Road and Milton Avenue

- Cavalry Run Drive between South Belle Vista and Price Road/West Glacier Drive

- Milton Avenue between Cavalry Run Drive and Price Road

- West Glacier Drive between Price Road and West Drive

- West Drive between Birch Hill Drive and Memorial Hill Drive

Additionally, the following trails are closed:

- Cavalry Run Trail

- Old Tree Trail

- One Way Drive Trail

- Slippery Rock Trail

The closures are in the North End area of the park near Lake Glacier. Crews will be replacing century-old sewer lines in the roadway. 

“The purpose of replacing the sewer is to enlarge it for more capacity because the overflows happen when the sewer exceeds capacity from storm events, Chuck Shasho, the Deputy Director of Public Works for the City of Youngstown said. 

The system has 17 spots identified by crews where waste water often spilled out of the line and into the lake causing higher levels of E coli. 

Crews will start replacing 9,000 feet of line by Todd Avenue and the Mahoning Avenue bridge. They'll end their work near the Slippery Rock Pavilion. Part of the work will include lowering the water in the lake to get to some of the lines.

While crews work to increase what the lines can handle, the city is in the process of designing another treatment facility to be able to take it in. 

“The second phase of our long term control plan after this is complete is to actually put some type of storage or something underneath the Mahoning Avenue bridge to be able to handle that extra flow,” Shasho said.

The new lines are expected to be in by May of 2028, that's when the roads will reopen. Then crews will start work on phase three and four which are expected to be done in 2032.

Drivers and visitors are asked to plan ahead and take alternate routes during the closure period.