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Repaving Akron area roadways will cost billions

Posted at 5:20 PM, May 22, 2019
and last updated 2019-05-22 18:02:50-04

AKRON, Ohio — A new study says that resurfacing Akron’s roads will be pricey.

We’re not talking millions — but billions. With a B.

That number is from an Akron metropolitan area transportation study that was completed just three years ago. It estimates that it will cost nearly $3.78 billion just to maintain the current system between now and 2045. The study evaluated nearly 3,500 miles of highway and 900 bridges in Summit, Portage and a portion of Wayne county.

This study says that roadways are typically resurfaced every 10 years, which means that the region’s roadways will likely be paved twice during the report’s 27-year span. The total cost of pavement resurfacing and replacement combined is just over $1.41 billion.

Bridges are where the price skyrockets. ODOT rates them on a scale of poor, fair and good, and 41 bridges in Greater Akron are rated poor. The price tag for all of the bridges is $2.37 billion.