AKRON, Ohio — Road construction crews unearthed a piece of Akron history last week while digging on West Exchange Street near Akron Children’s Hospital, according to News 5 media partners at the Akron Beacon Journal.
“What we found in there is [that] the old trolley tracks were left in the road,” said Chris Ludle, the city's deputy service director. “The steel is fine, but the wood is rotted.”
The surprising discovery delayed some work in the immediate area because the tracks had to be removed during a time when weather conditions were not ideal.
The city's old trolley system dates back to October 1888, when the first electric streetcar debuted.
Ohio.com reports that the city has been ripping out the remains of its trolley system for as many years as the track ran. The trolley system started phasing out in the 30s and the last streetcar ran in 1947.
Ludle said recent funding will allow the city to rip up the old tracks because they cause defects in the road as they decay.
