City of Urbana Infrastructure Improvements

Below is a list of recent, current and/or upcoming projects on the engineering docket; please contact the City Engineer at 937-652-4324 if there are any questions or concerns about these.

In 2017 the City of Urbana invested in a third-party study by Midwest Pavement Analysis and Design, LLC of every block of pavement within Urbana.  This study was updated in late 2021.  These blocks were each assigned a PCR (Pavement Condition Rating, 0-100 scale with 100 being a perfect pavement with no observable distress) by a person trained in that system.  Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) uses the PCR system to suggest treatments and schedules for their roads.  This list will assist in choosing streets to maintain or repave and corresponds to the streets where sidewalk, curb and gutter maintenance will be enforced if present. Access the PCRs here.  Streets being considered for paving in the next 5 years include at least portions of:

• Abbey Lane
• Boyce Street
• Cambridge Drive
• Camelot Drive
• Central Avenue
• College Street
• College Way
• Eichelberger Drive
• Grimes Avenue
• Grimes Circle 
• Gwynne Street
• Henry Street
• Hovey Street
• Julia Street
• Lafayette Avenue
• Lincoln Place
• Madison Avenue
• Maple Street
• Muzzy Road
• New Haven Drive
• North Drive
• North Edgewood Avenue
• North Kenton Street
• North Locust Street
• North Walnut Street
• Oak Street
• Old Farm Road
• Parkway Boulevard
• Pine Tree Drive
• Pro Circle
• Sara Street
• South High Street
• South Locust Street
• South Russell Street
• South Walnut Street
• West Reynolds Street
• West Ward Street
• West Water Street
• Westview Drive
• Windsor Avenue

Also, the following state or U.S. routes are planned:​​

• ​North Main Street from Washington Avenue north (US 68) (2025)
• Lewis B. Moore Drive (SR 55) (2026)
• North Oakland Street (SR 29) (2027)

2024 Project Agenda
The City of Urbana has or will undertake the following projects in 2024:

1. A piecemeal sidewalk, curb and/or gutter replacement program for Gwynne Street (N. Oakland Street to Railroad Street), Lafayette Avenue (N. Main Street to Wood Street) and Lincoln Place (N. Main Street to Wood Street) covers spot repairs as marked.  This work precedes the City paving and is a property owner assessment program for those who have chosen not to hire an individual contractor to perform their marked work.
2. The CDBG PY2022 Railroad Street Storm Project installs approximately 1,564 feet of 48” round and 38” x 60” elliptical storm main in Railroad Street and behind the homes along Railroad Street.  The project starts at Union Alley and culminates at Pindar Street and is set for 2024 construction.  Its goal is to eliminate a bottleneck in the storm system which combined storm runoff originating from the North Main Street area with storm runoff from the northwest neighborhood.  This will help reduce flooding issues experienced in the latter.  The project is funded in part by a Critical Infrastructure Community Development Block Grant obtained in 2022 and is the first major project funded locally by the stormwater utility fee.
3. Replacement of the Fire Department aprons and other concrete fronting the municipal building along E. Market Street will be designed and constructed in 2024.
4. The 2024 Asphalt Program repaves at least portions of the following streets in Urbana: Gwynne Street, Lafayette Avenue, Lincoln Place, Westview Drive, North Drive and Julia Street.
5. The 2024 Crack Seal Program performs pavement maintenance via crack sealing on the following streets: Childrens Home Road, East Lawn Avenue, Bloomfield Avenue, Julia Street, E. Light Street, W. Light Street, Freeman Avenue, Scioto Street, S. Walnut Street, College Street, Thompson Street, Lincoln Street, W. Powell Avenue, E. Powell Avenue and W. Broadway Street.  Additionally, since Urbana Township will have a share of Childrens Home Road and East Lawn Avenue, the City is bidding Post Road for them as a potential additive to the contract.
6. The 2024 Striping Program repaints faded street markings along US 36 East, Scioto Street (SR 29 East), N. Oakland Street, Childrens Home Road and East Lawn Avenue.
7. A Ohio Department of Development (ODOD) grant was obtained through their newly created Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Program in 2021 for a water extension and booster station project for the east side of Urbana.  The water main extension was already installed in 2022 along Dellinger Road, East Lawn Avenue and Childrens Home Road.  It will supply a new booster station at the park which is slated for 2024 completion.  The City’s existing booster station on E. Water Street will also be replaced during this project.  This provides the east side’s “high pressure zone” redundancy.  Much of the booster station site prep work was completed in 2023.  However, the pumps and housing themselves have been delayed in manufacturing.
8. Grant funding for the S. High Street Corridor Improvements was awarded to the City by the Ohio Department of Transportation in 2019 with supplemental funding added in 2024.  Design and other preliminary work began in 2020 and continued through 2022.  Construction began in summer of 2023 and will last through 2024.  The project is in the midst of installing a storm system, sidewalks, curbs and gutters the length of the project (SR 55 to US 36) as well as a parking lane in some areas.  Traffic calming features are being added in order to keep the residential feel of the street.  Finally, water and sewer lines are being replaced within certain blocks of the corridor.  An OPWC grant and loan as well as the City’s ARPA grant funding are also contributing to the financial makeup of the project.
9. The City plans to repair sections of Oak Dale Cemetery’s driveways.  After doing so, the County Engineer’s Office will be hired by the City to chip seal and fog seal the entirety of the paved cemetery drives.  As funding allows, the City may also have the County perform the same treatments to James Avenue.

2025 and on Project Agenda

1. Grant funding for the W. Court Street Bridge Replacement was awarded to the City by the Ohio Department of Transportation in 2021.  This bridge is currently posted for 45% legal load.  It is enclosed on both sides, making it hard to distinguish from the top side.  The City’s consultant is wrapping up design for a new bridge, aiming for a 2025 replacement year.
2. Safety upgrades to the Simon Kenton Trail crossings of Miami Street and N. Main Street received grant funding in 2022 through the ODOT Systemic Safety Grant program.  The project also received grant funding for design and right-of-way services through the Logan-Champaign Rural Transportation Planning Organization’s STBG program and is slated for 2025 construction.
3. In 2025, the City is aiming to perform wholesale curb and gutter replacement along with spot repairs of sidewalk on N. Main Street from Washington Avenue/Gwynne Street to Dellinger Road.  As done in the past, these types of projects are done as special assessments to the properties abutting.  This will precede ODOT’s urban paving of US 68 which is also scheduled for 2025.
4. The City will continue to initiate spot repairs of sidewalk, curb and gutter prior to paving.  It will also focus wholesale curb and gutter replacement programs on arterial streets (red and green) followed by collector streets (purple and yellow). See the functional class map here.