Engineer
Lake County Engineer Department
The Lake County Engineer’s Department is essential and is doing all we can to contain the coronavirus pandemic and keep our staff and stakeholders safe. Therefore, we are cancelling or postponing in-person meetings that are not considered crucial at this time. We continue to be dedicated to keeping our roads, bridges, and intersections safe for your mandatory and emergency travels at this time. I thank our staff and communities for their due diligence and the staff’s presence during this time. Please keep yourselves safe.
The Lake County Engineer’s Office is dedicated to improving the quality of life for Lake County citizens by providing safer roads, bridges, and intersections.
You are invited to review our website for up-to-date road information, review of ongoing projects, and other valuable information. Please call, email, or visit us if what you are looking for is not on our website.
Sincerely,
James R. Gills, PE, PS
Lake County Engineer
Contact Us at:
LAKE COUNTY ENGINEER’S OFFICE
105 Main Street, Suite A205, Painesville, OH 44077
Phone: (440)350-2770 Fax: (440)352-8133
Regular Business Hours:
Monday – Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
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| OHIO EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY Sima S. Merick, Executive Director www.ema.ohio.gov |
| 2024 Winter Safety Awareness Week is November 17–23 (Columbus, OH) – In a coordinated effort, Governor Mike DeWine and the Ohio Committee for Severe Weather Awareness (OCSWA) recognize November 17-23, 2024 as Winter Safety Awareness Week. “Winter Safety Awareness Week is a great opportunity for citizens, schools, and businesses to prepare for the potential harsh impacts of winter,” said Governor DeWine. “Having an emergency plan for your family, practicing the plan, and having an emergency kit at home and in your vehicles will help you be ready for winter weather or any other emergency.” Winter activities can be fun for everyone, but Ohioans should also be prepared for more severe impacts that can come along with the season. Snow, blizzard conditions, freezing rain, and flooding are a few of many conditions that can be hazardous during the winter months. Residents are encouraged to not only enjoy what winter has to offer, but to also prepare in advance for these potentially dangerous conditions. Below are some tips to help you get ready for the harsher side of the season. 1. Make an emergency plan. Plans should include each member of your household, including pets. If you have a multi-generational home, please plan for the needs of babies, children, and older adults. Please also consider your household members with different abilities that may require special assistance or use of medical or mobility equipment. 2 Build an emergency kit. Have an emergency preparedness “go-kit” ready in case of a power outage or if you need to leave the house quickly! Using your plan as a guide, you can have the appropriate items ready to go as soon as you need it. Additionally, make a kit for each of your vehicles in the event you are stranded and need supplies to keep safe until help arrives. 3.Practice your plan! Gather your household together so everyone understands the plan and their role in the process. To learn more about winter safety and preparedness and to download Governor DeWine’s proclamation, visit the OCSWA Winter Safety Awareness Page. Additionally, you can follow OCSWA on Twitter and Facebook and for more winter safety tips. |
Posted 8/13/2024
The Lake County Engineer’s Office has contracted with Specialized Construction to chip seal Ravenna Road in Concord Township between Concord-Hambden Road/SR 608 and Colburn Road. The project will be comprised of a double chip with a fog seal. Each layer of stone will be placed and then there will be a waiting period to allow traffic to drive on it and “lock” it in place. After the stone is placed and had traffic drive on it, a fog seal will be placed over the stone. Once the fog seal is placed, the stone will be locked it place and there will not be any loose stone. The entire process will take approximately three weeks. New pavement markings will follow shortly after.
While many residents are voicing their concerns and stating that they want an asphalt road, the funding for an asphalt road is currently not available. By using a chip seal process, we are able to preserve the driving surface for a few years until funding is awarded.
Please note that a double chip with a fog seal is not considered to be a sub-standard treatment that is limited to residential streets. The Ohio Department of Transportation is using the same process on state highways with similar traffic volumes across the state as a maintenance measure to extend the lifespan of an existing roadway.
Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact Traci Salkiewicz, PE – Chief Deputy Engineer at (440) 350-2016 or [email protected].
Posted April 23, 2024
As of 10/24/2023, the Sanctuary Road Bridge is open to traffic. The contractor will remain on site to complete site restorations.
Lake County Township Trustee Association Annual Meeting
*****AS OF FEBRUARY 1, 2023, THE LAKE COUNTY ENGINEER’S OFFICE WILL NO LONGER BE REPLACING MAILBOXES******
LAKE COUNTY, OHIO – SNOW PLOW/SALT POLICY – 2022-2023
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Lake County Engineer’s Office re-evaluates the County snow policy and procedures every year in order to keep up with changing costs and road conditions. The Lake County Engineer’s Office is responsible for over 304 lane miles of County Roads and 110 lane miles along SR 2 from the Cuyahoga County line to the bridge over the Grand River in Painesville City/Township. We also assist local Townships/Villages and Cities, as needed. During winter storm events, the priority remains SR 2, County Roads and then any Township/Village/City roads that we are assisting with.
There are typically ten snowplow trucks on the County Road system and four snowplow trucks on SR 2. However, we adjust the number of trucks in any given area based on the storm conditions and where the trucks are most needed. Our crews use untreated salt to maintain the freeway and County highway system.
Our policy and procedures on SR 2 this year will be similar to last years. We will use salt as the primary tool in deicing the freeway. During each winter storm, the priority will be the slower (right) lane and the ramps along SR 2. The remaining mainline lanes will be plowed center lane to left as applicable until the storm eases or we have reasonably cleared the other areas of SR 2.
The salting priority for the County Highway system will be hills, bends and intersections. The straights will be spot treated in a manner to keep them passable. As the storm subsides, we will put material down on the straights. This will continue until the storm ends. At that time, any hard pack that has formed will be treated and cleared
During the evening hours (8 PM – 4 AM), the County will put down minimal material to keep the highways passable. This is a time when traffic volumes are low. This nighttime salting policy applies only to the County Highway system, not SR 2.
Our salting policy will be consistent with that of recent years. Supply and demand in tandem with economics and environmental impacts have forced us to enact these policies and procedures. Our goal with this policy is to continue to provide the citizens of Lake County with a safe driving environment and allow us to stretch our reserves for the entire winter season. It will require county drivers to cooperate during these events. Please exercise caution and be free of distractions while driving on our roadways during snow and ice conditions.
*****Please use the REPORT A PROBLEM tab for: Pot holes, dead animals on the roadway, and other County road issues.*****
PUBLIC COMMENTS:
The Lake County Engineer’s Office is in the process of seeking funding for the replacement of the Madison Avenue Retaining Wall located in Painesville City and Painesville Township. We welcome any public comments concerning this project. Comments can be made to [email protected]. The Significance and History of the Madison Avenue Retaining Wall is to protect Madison Avenue from erosion caused by the Grand River. The wall is located from approximately 230 feet west of the Painesville City line to 580 feet into Painesville Township in Lake County. The roadway is approximately 80 feet above the normal flow elevation of the Grand River and slope failure models extend to the Northern right-of-way line. Madison Avenue is a significant East-West corridor in Lake County. The roadway is classified as a Major Collector with an ADT of 6371 per ODOT’s TIMS data. To the west, Madison Avenue becomes Main Street which crosses the Grand River into Painesville, the County Seat. To the east, Madison Avenue provides access to the Riverview Elementary School less than a half mile from the proposed project site, Painesville Township Fire Station No. 2 less than a mile and a half away and to the new $30 million Vrooman Road Bridge providing access to I-90. Within the Madison Avenue Retaining Wall limits, across the street from the Grand River erosion, there are 12 homes including a Painesville Township century home, 3 intersections including one to a dead end street and the Painesville Evergreen Cemetery in the City of Painesville. Madison Avenue is has sidewalks, curbs and a storm drainage system. Various utilities are carried in the road right-of-way including water, gas and power poles including ancillary wire services. Over time various measures have been performed to protect Madison Avenue from the Grand River erosion. Dating back to 1922, plans provided for a toe wall at the river’s edge and backfilling the slope. After that failed in 1959, an H-pile wall with timber lagging was installed. Remnants of that wall still exist. Remnants of another sheet pile wall also exist. Conditions were such that an ACOE Section 14 reconnaissance document report was completed in 1982. The current tie-back sheet pile wall was constructed in 1992. Its local failure just to the east of Woodworth Avenue in 2020 resulted in the repairs completed in 2021. Erosion, steel sheet pile section loss from corrosion and inadequate drainage behind the wall have all played a part in the failure. Lake County has hired Burgess & Niple, Inc. to perform an in depth inspection of the wall that is in process. It is our hope that working with the ACOE utilizing Section 14 of the Flood Control Act of 1946 will assist with planning and funding needed to implement long term solutions that will continue to protect Madison Avenue.
News Release: Roadside workers plead with drivers to keep them safe
Ohio Department of Transportation sent this bulletin at 10/13/2021 09:31 AM EDT
Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page. Media Contacts:Matt Bruning – ODOT – (614) 466-6906 Lt. Nathan Dennis – OSHP – (614) 752-2792 Brian Newbacher – Ohio Turnpike – (440) 821-3399 AAA Media Contacts Roadside workers plead with drivers to keep them safe Family members also ask motorists to do the right thing  COLUMBUS – Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, AAA, the Ohio Turnpike, the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT), the Ohio State Highway Patrol, and The Risk Institute are recognizing Move-Over Day, Saturday, Oct. 16, by reminding Ohio drivers to move over and slow down for any vehicle with flashing lights parked on the roadside. This effort is part of a larger multi-agency campaign that includes social media messaging every Monday with the hashtags #MoveOverMonday and #MoveOverOhio. Crash Data: According to a new crash analysis from ODOT, 546 crashes have occurred so far in 2021 when drivers failed to move over or slow down for a stationary vehicle with flashing lights. This has caused 21 deaths and 59 serious injuries. Between 2015 and 2020 a total of 5,561 move over-related crashes occurred in Ohio. “It’s alarming to see the rise of crashes happening throughout our state,” said Governor Mike DeWine. “It’s critically important that all drivers remember to avoid distractions, pay attention, and stay focused on the road.” The death of a AAA tow provider, Glenn Ewing, 32, highlights how dangerous it is for individuals who work regularly along the shoulders of Ohio’s roads. Ewing was killed while placing a disabled vehicle on the back of a flatbed near Cincinnati on July 4, 2021. “The men and women who work on our roads have a simple request for drivers: ‘Help us get home safe at the end of the day.’ Moving over and slowing down allows them to do that,” said ODOT Director Jack Marchbanks. Lack of Understanding Among Drivers: A survey conducted by The Ohio State University found gaps in Ohioans’ knowledge of the state’s Move Over law, especially when it comes to construction crews and tow trucks. “Survey data shows that many Ohioans still don’t move over for tow truck operators, construction vehicles or disabled vehicles,” said Executive Director Ferzan M. Ahmed, P.E., Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission. “Since 2015, two tow truck operators have been killed on the Ohio Turnpike. Their families will have to bear the loss of their loved ones for the rest of their lives. People have the responsibility to obey the law in order to keep all roadside workers and motorists safe from injury and death.” All 50 states and the District of Columbia have a Move Over law to protect individuals on the roadside. Ohio’s law requires all drivers to move over and slow down for any vehicle parked on the side of the road with flashing lights, no matter the color of the lights or the number of lanes. Startling new data from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety finds:Nearly a quarter (23%) of drivers are unaware of their state’s Move Over law.In addition, 42% of drivers who do not comply with Move Over laws at all times said they thought their behavior was somewhat or not dangerous at all to roadside emergency workers.“ The recent AAA Foundation data demonstrates that drivers may not realize how risky it is for those working or stranded along highways and roads close to moving traffic,” said Kimberly Schwind with the Ohio Conference of AAA Clubs. Enforcement and Education are Key: Those who do not comply with Ohio’s Move Over Law are subject to charges and fines. The law is strictly enforced. In fact, in 2020, the Ohio State Highway Patrol issued 7,829 citations for those failing to move over or slow down. So far this year, there have been 3,576 citations issued.“ Moving over or slowing down for stationary vehicles with flashing lights isn’t just the law; it’s the right thing to do,” said Colonel Richard S. Fambro of the Ohio State Highway Patrol. “By motorists making this a standard practice, we can make Ohio safer for everyone working along our roadways.” Law enforcement is not immune to the consequences of not moving over. On Sept. 4, 2021 a vehicle struck Sergeant Fernando Chavez’ Ohio State Highway Patrol car while he was completing a traffic stop on the shoulder of U.S. Route 24 in Defiance County. Sergeant Chavez sustained non-life-threatening injuries, but the passenger in the vehicle that struck him died, and the driver sustained life-threatening injuries.” The Risk Institute stands with other organizations in support of efforts in Ohio and nationally to raise awareness to Move Over Laws and creating a one lane buffer for all emergency response and service vehicles stopped on our highways,” said Phil Renaud, executive director of The Risk Institute. “Please protect our Public Safety and Emergency Response workers.” Videos and campaign materials are available for download MoveOver.Ohio.gov. ***MEDIA: Links to raw interviews, b-roll, PSAs, a factsheet, and county-by-county breakdown are all available by clicking here. |
A huge shout out to droneohio.com for permitting the Lake County Engineer to use the amazing Vrooman Road pictures with our communities. Your graciousness is appreciated!
Dumping leaves and other yard waste in streams, creeks, ditches, and storm drains causes problems for you, your neighbors, and your local municipality.
Yard wastes also clog and block storm drains, streams, and ditches. This increases flooding and stream bank and ditch erosion. Fixing damage and removing these blockages comes at a cost to both homeowners and communities.
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Engineer Resources
| Location Name | Address | City | Zipcode | Website | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake County Engineer’s Office | 105 Main Street Suite A205 | Painesville | 44077 | 440-350-2652 |