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.
