$2.1 million in street repair approved

Road improvements in Columbus are set to begin in late July or early August under the first phase of the city’s street overlay program.

The Columbus Board of Works on Tuesday approved an agreement with Milestone Contractors for $2.1 million that will bring street improvements to slightly more than seven miles of roads in the city.

Funding for the project will come out of the city’s local street account that is tied to money generated from vehicle registrations, along with money from its capital budget for street paving, said Dave Hayward, executive director of public works/city engineer.

The second phase of the street overlay program will begin in September once the first phase is completed, Hayward said. Streets targeted for improvement are identified through the city’s pavement management system, which ranks streets based on their overall condition, he said.