Springfield will spend $2.8 million on road construction projects this summer, including the $1.4 million Bechtle Avenue bridge replacement and the repaving of several streets around Springfield.

Approximately $625,000 of the money is local funds, while the rest is being paid for through federal or state dollars, according to city engineer Leo Shanayda.

The $1.4 million Bechtle Avenue Bridge replacement begin earlier this year, while the rest of the projects will begin after July 1, Shanayda said.

Other projects include the approximately $650,000 Grand Avenue paving project, the citys $500,000 permanent improvement paving program and $300,000 in repairs to Limestone Street. The National Trail Parks and Recreation District is also planning to complete a $140,000 paving project at Davey Moore Park this summer.

The replacement of the Bechtle Ave. bridge overlooking Buck Creek is currently 25 percent complete and is expected to be finished by Labor Day, Shanayda said.

Theyre on schedule, but theyre pushing to get done sooner, Shanayda said.

The bridge is open to through traffic and the city hasnt heard many complaints, Shanayda said.

People are getting used to where the construction is locating and theyre learning how to maneuver through it, Shanayda said.

The project will be paid for mostly through grant money, including approximately $760,000 from Federal Highway Administration/Ohio Department of Transportation and $409,000 from the Ohio Public Works Commission. It also received $196,000 from other sources, including FHWA and ODOT, to help offset design costs. The bridge has a lower than normal sufficiency rating than normal and is in need of replacement, Shanayda said.

The portion of Grand Avenue from Yellow Springs Street to South Limestone Street will also be repaved using money from both OPWC and ODOT at a cost of about $650,000.

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Springfield to spend $2.8 million on road construction

With the weather extremes that we know all too well, many Minnesota homeowners have experienced the challenges of maintaining a healthy landscape around their humble abodes. Add in the impact of water runoff and soil erosion from continuous development, and it can be difficult to keep your gardening and outdoor recreation spaces looking vibrant and natural.

Make sure to visit us on May 10 at the Green Expo where we can show you more about what we can do for you. Check out the details.

A paving and landscape contractor that considers environmental factors in both the design and implementation of a project, Earth Wizards transforms driveways, parking lots and landscapes with a sensible, earth-friendly approach that is mindful of your budget, property and the environment.

Whether a driveway can simply be overlaid rather than replaced or a portion redone, Earth Wizards offers creative suggestions and provides options suitable for your situation. With a knowledgeable estimating staff and experienced installation crews, the process is seamless from beginning to end since the work isnt subcontracted.

An approach is provided that minimizes the impact on the environment by working with homeowners, property owners and public agencies to develop and construct projects that capture, or minimally, filter stormwater runoff, control erosion and/or improve property features in a way that uses recycled materials, locally-sourced supplies and efficiencies in construction phasing while managing costs.

With services in Paving, Landscaping and Stormwater Management, Earth Wizards has earned its awards and great Angies List reviews.

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The season for Runoff and Erosion is here. What can you do for your home or business?

Hell strips are what they call narrow planting spaces adjacent to a driveway, street or sidewalk. This is the plant graveyard, where less than resilient species give up the ghost by midsummer. Why are these sun-drenched planters so tough to cultivate? It's because adjacent paving becomes a thermal mass that collects and reflects that heat back on plants both night and day.

Any planter immediately adjacent to a large field of paving will feel the heat, particularly when it's black asphalt. This happens on the surface and also underground when the absorbed heat moves into soil to cook roots. If you doubt just how much heat a driveway radiates, go out on a hot July day to stand barefoot on that slab. Then step over to the soil of the hell strip and compare.

Beneath that soil, plant roots are nearly as hot as the surface temperature. During a heat wave, roots of sensitive plants may never recover. The key is choosing species of plants for your hell strip that stand up to both absorbed and reflected heat, so they'll take these conditions in stride.

The best place to prove hell strip plants is in the desert, where temperatures soar well over 110 for weeks at a time. Plants that are widely grown there can take hot ground, reflected heat and poor fertility, day after day. They're also surprisingly cold hardy too. I've watched them for years in the Palm Springs, Calif., desert, and can attest to their resilient nature. Make this your starting point for a flowering palette that turns your hell strip into a perennial border, knowing it will take summer heat waves in stride.

Long flowering autumn sage is a native of Texas and northern Mexico that proves itself time and again to be a favorite of desert gardeners and hummingbirds. The species, Salvia greggii, is cold hardy to USDA Zone 5, so it should take winter cold to well below zero. Note that the red flowered types will be more heat and cold tolerant than other bloom colors.

Known as gopher plant, the lovely blue foliage and lemon yellow flowers of Euphorbia rigida appear far too delicate for the desert or a hell strip. Yet they thrive all over desert landscapes and with Zone 5 hardiness they're quite popular in northern climates, too. The common name tells you they won't be bothered by gophers due to the potent latex sap they contain. Theres no better problem solver for rodent-infested ground, hell strips and super lean sandy soils.

Another native of Texas and Mexico is Gaura lindheimeri, a relative newcomer to desert gardens. The white flowered variety is far more frequently seen in the desert, but pink forms may do equally well. The airy animated appearance of Gaura's long slender flower stems blends very nicely with gopher plant and is equally cold hardy.

To solve hot-spot planting challenges, consider these three star performers. Use them as the structure for a perennial border augmented with other heat resistant species such as agave or yucca. All three of them are the best flowering companions for your favorite upscale succulents.

In colder climates, deer grass, Muhlenbergia rigens, proves an equally heat- and cold-tolerant companion. For seasonal features, purple fountain grass is a beautiful choice because its nodding flower wands add height and texture to your border. However, fountain grass is not cold hardy so it must be replanted each spring, but well worth the effort.

The only caveat is to ensure there's free drainage if your soils are clay or hardpan. A good solution is to bring in rocks and arrange them to raise each planting spot just a few inches above grade. This keeps the sensitive crown of each plant above the wet while roots can still access moisture freely deeper down.

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Yardsmart: 3 hell strip perennials

Driveway Paving in Action
Most older pavers have warped screeds from the repeated overheating. Warped screeds cannot lay down a smooth mat. Our paver is a brand new 2013 Leeboy Asphal...

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Driveway Paving in Action - Video

Created: 04/30/2014 9:52 AM WNYT.com By: Jessica Riley

New York State Police say warmer weather brings spring-time scammers.

Theyre warning people in the Capital Region that driveway paving scams are more prevalent this time of year.

A traveling asphalt paving crew may offer you a low-priced opportunity to repair your driveway.

Usually the scammers show up unexpectedly at homes and claim they have leftover material from another job and offers to repair your driveway. The job is usually poorly done or the price is raised to a much higher amount than the original estimate.

Another common scam is when they convince the homeowner to pay cash for the job and then work never gets completed.

Police advice homeowners to always ask for a written contract to protect themselves. They also say to ask for references before getting the work done and to do your research on the company.

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Paving scams increase as temperatures rise

Franklin County Sheriff Don Jones is warning residents about a scam that cost a rural man thousands of dollars.

A resident alerted the sheriffs office Thursday about the scam after he realized the driveway paving work he paid $11,500 for was substandard.

The man said he was approached by a crew of five men who offered to asphalt his driveway last week. One of the men told the resident the crew had just completed a job and could use leftover materials to asphalt his driveway for cash payment.

The crew, supposedly from the Metro East, was at the residence for about five hours and were paid in cash. The asphalt appeared to be a mix of rock and diesel fuel.

The work was very shoddy, nowhere near the level of work he paid for, Jones said.

The sheriffs office has received several complaints about similar attempts in the past few weeks, but this was the first report from a resident who fell victim to the scam.

Anyone with information about the scam is asked to call the sheriffs anonymous tipline at 618-439-9561. Residents who believe they are being scammed can call the sheriffs office at 618-438-4841.

-- The Southern

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Residents warned of asphalt scam

DACULA An asphalt replacement, paving and sidewalk project on Hill Circle was awarded to Allied Paving Contractors during Thursdays Dacula City Council meeting, following extensive discussion about the original scope of work and a change order.

The original scope of work included paving from Hill Circle to South Street, sidewalk and stormwater improvements, at a bid price of $192,315. A change order, which reflects an expanded scope of work, was also awarded to Allied Paving Contractors on Thursday. The expanded project includes replacement of all sidewalks, curb and gutter and driveway aprons within the right of way along Hill Circle. The bid price for the change order is $180,273, bringing the total cost of the project to $372,588.

Councilwoman Sue Robinson initially objected to approving a bid for the original scope of work and, in the same council meeting, approving a change order for the Hill Circle project. Robinson asked city administrator Jim Osborn why the change order was not sent out to bidders other than Allied Paving Contractors. Osborn said that the bid was awarded based on unit prices, and therefore Allied Paving Contractors would still be the lowest bidder, considering that criteria.

The entire project will be funded by a Community Development Block Grant, federal funds granted to municipalities for such projects. The total amount of the CDBG awarded to Dacula is $469,779. Osborn said that, even with the expanded project scope, there will still be $97,000 in unused funds from the grant. CDBGs are typically awarded for specific projects.

If any additional change orders for the Hill Circle project are required, they must be funded using SPLOST funds, according to Osborn, as only one change order is allowed for each CDBG project.

Once council members questions about funding and the bid process were answered, the vote approving both bid awards was unanimous.

Special-use permit for church granted

Pastor Samuel James addressed Mayor Jimmy Wilbanks and the council on Thursday, speaking in favor of his request to locate his 20-member church in a multi-use retail center at 2559 Pharr Road. According to James, the Light of Truth Church will use the space two to three times a week, on Wednesday evenings and on Sundays, late morning to mid-afternoon.

We hope to get the word out and add a second Sunday service, from 4 to 6 p.m., James said. We want to be a positive influence in the community.

The citys planning commission recommended granting the special-use permit, with six conditions governing appearance and signage (such as banners) at the location. Council members voted unanimously in agreement.

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Hill Circle paving, sidewalk project to commence

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Demolition, Barging And Overview Update Of Roosevelt Island Cornell NYC Tech
April 16 meeting of Manhattan Community Board 8. Introduction by by Cornell Tech Community Rep Jane Swanson of Andrew Winters, Cornell Tech Director of Capit...

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