Current Engineering Projects

The City of Kent along with its partners - the project's Citizen Advisory Committee (CAC), Kent State University, PARTA (Portage Area Regional Transport Authority), AMATS (Akron Metropolitan Area Transportation Study) and ODOT (Ohio Department of Transportation) - are undertaking a $25.5 million rehabilitation of a three-quarter mile portion of East Main Street.

The project focuses on East Main, between Willow Street and Horning Road intersections, along with neighborhoods to the north and KSU to the south.

Road design for the East Main Street project was completed in early 2025. A contractor has been awarded, and construction should begin in late summer/early fall 2025. Construction is estimated to last three years, with traffic being maintained for the duration.

Visit the East Main Street Project page for more details.

This annual project makes improvements to area streets and sidewalks, including asphalt pavement, curb, drive aprons and sidewalk replacement.

Milling and Resurfacing and sidewalks planned for 2025:

• Allerton St, from Morris to Kent State property
• Spaulding Dr. from W. Main St. to Silver Meadows Blvd.
• Ada St.
• N. Lincoln St.

In 2025 pavement repairs and seal coat treatments are planned on the following streets: Anna Ave., Carthage St., Davey Ave., Gatun, Graham Ave., King Ave., Mason Ave., Perry St., Starr Ave., Walter St., Wolcott Ave. and Woodside Dr.

Work is scheduled to be completed in Fall 2025.

Joint repair work continues on Lake St.

The City of Kent, Kent City Schools, and Davey Tree are partnering to make improvements to a nearly half-mile section of North Mantua St., from Needham Ave. to just beyond the northern Kent City limits.

This well-traveled stretch of road includes Theodore Roosevelt High School, River Bend residential development and the corporate headquarters for Davey Tree, and also serves as the northern gateway into the city.

This section of North Mantua has a daily volume of 17,000-18,000 vehicles; concerns about traffic and pedestrian safety, speeding, and vehicular ingress/egress have been a concern in this area for more than 20 years.

Visit the North Mantua Street Improvement Project page for more details.

This project includes the installation of new sludge heat exchangers and boiler equipment and construction of a new boiler building.

The work scope includes replacing existing sludge and digester gas process equipment, piping, related gas handling equipment and appurtenances.

Proposed electrical and mechanical work is included for the new boiler building and existing digester control building. Existing electrical motor control center, control panels, distribution panels and wiring will be replaced.

The project is funded by a grant from the American Rescue Plan Act and the Ohio Public Works Commission. 

This project includes the removal and replacement of primary clarifier no. 1 equipment, including weir plates, control panels, wiring and other related equipment.  Work also includes gate replacement, concrete replacement, handrailing, electrical work and SCADA.

The project is funded by a grant from the American Rescue Plan Act and the Ohio Public Works Commission. 

The city is partnering with PARTA, Franklin Township, and ODOT to improve safety, pedestrian mobility, bike mobility and transit facilities along the St. Rt. 59 corridor from Horning Road to St. Rt. 261.

The scope of work includes reconstructing the road to reduce lane widths, installing concrete curbs, sidewalks, a shared use path, driveway aprons, mid-block crosswalks with pedestrian islands, ADA accessibility, upgrading transit stops and shelters, upgrading traffic signals to include accessible pedestrian signals.

A design consultant has been hired and preliminary design work is underway. Construction is expected to begin in 2027 and take two years to complete. 

The project budget is approximately $7.4 million. To date, $4.4 million in funding has been received from ODOT and AMATS; additional funding opportunities are being pursued.  

A section of West Elm St. will be reconstructed, between Dodge and South Water streets. This will include new asphalt pavement, concrete curbs, driveway aprons, and sidewalk.

The improvements will be constructed in phases (one block at a time), the first block is anticipated to be constructed in 2027 or 2028.

The project is currently in the planning phase, and a consultant is expected to be hired by the end of 2025 to design the improvements. The project will be funded with Community Development Block Grant monies.

A Citizens Advisory Committee will be formed for residents in the area to identify their needs and develop solutions to be implemented in the road design.