Yearslong effort to widen Wales Road NE in Massillon enters home stretch

• The Wales Road NE improvement project in Massillon is nearing completion.
• The project started in January 2021 with tree removal and utility work. Completion is set for July 31.
• New sidewalks and traffic lights are also part of the upgrades.

MASSILLON – A multiyear effort to widen and improve Wales Road NE is heading down the home stretch.

Altogether, the work has been part of a $7.2 million project to resurface and widen a 1.4-mile section from Lincoln Way E to Hills and Dales Road NE. The scheduled completion date is July 31.

"I'd say we're about 95% of the way home," said Justin Chesnic, an Ohio Department of Transportation public information officer for District 4, which includes Massillon. "Most of what's left to do is off the road."

Some primary tasks remaining include a final striping of the roadway, smoothing over some asphalt and updating traffic signals at intersections, Chesnic said.

The project also includes new sidewalks, landscaping, curb and gutter replacement, and new traffic lights.

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The majority of work has been grant funded, as the city is picking up around $1.4 million. The city's share came out of the Massillon Marketplace tax increment financing district.

Construction was put on hold last December by ODOT as a winter safety precaution.

The work kicked off in January 2021 with tree removal and utility work. ODOT came on-site a year later.

The effort hit a standstill in parts of 2022 because of supply chain issues for equipment and materials from the COVID-19 pandemic.

But city Engineer Alex Pitts said the project has been back on track for some time, calling it 90% to 95% finished.

He noted some "punch-list" items are remaining, which likely would be addressed in a final inspection in late July. That may include adjusting manhole covers and adjusting traffic light sequences.

"The majority of things are done. We like how work has been progressing," Pitts said.

Reach Steven at steven.grazier@indeonline.com. On X: @sgrazierINDE