Kent Awarded $3.5 Million in Federal Funds by AMATS

Kent has been awarded nearly $3.5 million in funds for road construction projects and the creation of a new segment of hike-and-bike trail by the Akron Metropolitan Area Transportation Study.

AMATS, the Akron-based planning agency charged with disbursing federal funding in Portage, Summit and part of Wayne counties, on Thursday approved 46 projects that will receive nearly $50 million in federal transportation funds.

The brunt of Kent’s total award – $2.36 million – is for the reconstruction of the 1.3-mile stretch of South Water Street between S.R. 261 and Summit Street. The project will be funded in 2015 through AMATS’ Surface Transportation Program.

The project will include turn lanes, signal upgrade, signal interconnect and sidewalk ramps. AMATS is funding 80 percent of the project’s $3.37 million total cost, with the city paying the remaining 20 percent.

The second-largest chunk of money Kent will receive is $700,000 to create a new leg of the Portage Hike & Bike Trail. The new .50-mile S.R. 59 segment of the trail will run from to Erie Street, where it will meet up with ’s planned extension.

AMATS will fund its share of the $1.25 million total project cost in 2015 through the Transportation Enhancement Program.

The Kent projects being funded through the AMATS Resurfacing Program are:

• Paving a .58-mile section of Franklin Avenue between Cherry and Summit streets. AMATS will fund $184,000 of the $245,000 total project cost in 2014.

• Paving a .33-mile section of Fairchild Avenue between Majors Lane and Hudson Road. AMATS will fund $129,600 of the $172,000 total project cost in 2014.

• Paving a .32-mile section of North DePeyster Street between East Main Street to Crain Avenue. AMATS will fund $124,000 of the $165,000 total project cost in 2014.