The Painter Road renovation project continues in Perry Twp. (2024)

Shown are township trustees Jim Armeni, left, and Tony Ieropoli reviewing the project plans during a site tour Friday.

Shown are township trustees Jim Armeni, left, and Tony Ieropoli reviewing the project plans during a site tour Friday.

Shown is the expanded roadway. In addition to the two feet expansion to the roadway’s surface, the roadside had been pushed back a further three feet to allow for the installation of a new drainage ditch.

Progress continues on the Painter Road renovation project, which has been ongoing in phases since January. The renovation project will see the roadway widened two feet, grading work, and significant drainage improvements. These improvements are intended to improve the safety, utility, and longevity of the road, and to increase the ease of maintenance. (Photos by Morgan Ahart)

Shown are a pair of 18-inch pipes set to be used in two of the three crossovers set to be installed as part of overarching drainage improvements intended to combat deterioration caused by a combination of stormwater runoff, and annual winter freeze and thaw.

Progress continues on the Painter Road renovation project, which has been ongoing in phases since January. The renovation project will see the roadway widened two feet, grading work, and significant drainage improvements. These improvements are intended to improve the safety, utility, and longevity of the road, and to increase the ease of maintenance. (Photos by Morgan Ahart)

During a tour of the worksite Friday, township trustees Tony Ieropoli and Jim Armeni said that the project was progressing well, with tree cutting and stump removal fully completed, and grading already underway. Ieropoli attributed this pace to recent favorable weather, and the hard work of the township’s road crew.

“They’ve really been doing an amazing job with it, they’ve already hauled 100 tons of dirt,” said Ieropoli.

Ieropoli also said that the five feet has been cleared from the previous road edge, which will be used to expand the roadway by two feet to bring its previous 17-foot width closer in line with the average 20- to 22-foot width of township roads, with the remaining three feet dedicated to a new ditch as part of overarching drainage improvements intended to combat deterioration caused by a combination of stormwater runoff, and annual winter freeze and thaw. Ieropoli explained that the section which will expand the roadway’s surface was dug out roughly a foot down to the existing shale and stone base layer, and filled in with two types of limestone which he said packs like cement when compressed.

Armeni described the project as “probably the biggest undertaking the township had taken on” in his memory. Armeni also said that trustees have received a lot of positive feedback from township residents who were happy to see the township making improvements to the roadway.

Shown are a pair of 18-inch pipes set to be used in two of the three crossovers set to be installed as part of overarching drainage improvements intended to combat deterioration caused by a combination of stormwater runoff, and annual winter freeze and thaw.

“People have been really positive about the project; they’re happy to see the improvements. This is a major cut-through for people in the area,” said Armeni.

Beyond the work which has already been completed, additional grading work which will reduce and equalize the grade of the roadside to make mowing easier and safer, and substantial drainage improvement work, with three crossovers and catch basins set to be installed, the new drainage ditch to be added, and the ditch on the existing roadside to be re-done, are still ongoing. Ieropoli said the scope of these improvements were being completed with the potential drainage needs of the road as far as 50 years from now in mind.

Due to the amount of ongoing work to be completed, trustees opted to extend the closure of the section of Painter Road from Scarborough Lane to Egypt Road, which was originally scheduled to last through May 31, by another week, now lasting through June 7.

Beyond the work being conducted by the township directly, Painter Road was also submitted by trustees as part of the township’s chip and seal and striping list for 2024. The trustees said they would be reviewing the project in full in their next meeting, currently scheduled for 4 p.m. June 10, as trustees canceled their next regularly scheduled meeting which would have fallen on Memorial Day.

Progress continues on the Painter Road renovation project, which has been ongoing in phases since January. The renovation project will see the roadway widened two feet, grading work, and significant drainage improvements. These improvements are intended to improve the safety, utility, and longevity of the road, and to increase the ease of maintenance. (Photos by Morgan Ahart)

Shown is the expanded roadway. In addition to the two feet expansion to the roadway’s surface, the roadside had been pushed back a further three feet to allow for the installation of a new drainage ditch.

Shown are township trustees Jim Armeni, left, and Tony Ieropoli reviewing the project plans during a site tour Friday.

Shown are township trustees Jim Armeni, left, and Tony Ieropoli reviewing the project plans during a site tour Friday.