Transforming the Heart of the City

South Main Street Renovation

This $35M redesigned corridor runs through the heart of the City’s urban core, providing a transformation that improved how the community connected with their centers of education, employment, culture, entertainment, and recreation.

The projects footprint is 3,300 ft of complete renovation and total reconstruction of the Main Street corridor in downtown Akron.  Proposed improvements included new roadway, new decorative crosswalks, new coordinated traffic signals at three main intersections, a single lane roundabout to be constructed at the intersection of Mill Street and Main Street,  a lane on each side of the street for parallel parking with master pay stations and signage, designated delivery drop offs, and bus zones, a bidirectional raised cycle track connecting to the nearby Towpath Trail, new sidewalks, combined sewer repair, drainage improvements, new LED intelligent lighting, steam upgrades, chilled water lines, condensate return lines, aesthetics and amenities, including room for sidewalk café seating, water main upgrades, fiber communications, video surveillance, and festival utility hookups. Power and telecommunication utility upgrades are also included as part of this project.  A new 850 ft prestressed concrete I-girder bridge along State Street will provide for two lane traffic, sidewalk, and cycle track.

The typical intersection will consist of reconstructed pavement using BLACK concrete, enhanced brick crosswalks with concrete headers, curb bumpouts with pedestrian/cycle track curb ramps, pavement markings, and LED intelligent lighting.  The new State Street bridge will serve a multi-story city-owned parking garage. The new bridge construction not only requires a re-connection into the parking garage’s second floor entrance ramps but also requires all traffic to be maintained.  This required a specific parking garage maintenance of traffic plan.

A significant priority has been placed on developing and implementing both a pedestrian and vehicular maintenance of traffic plan. This complex plan accommodates access to the businesses located along Main Street. In addition to City sponsored events, the Cleveland Indians’ AA Minor Baseball Stadium is located along Main Street.

PRIME AE was subsequently selected to design the next phase of the S. Main Street improvements program.

2021 ACEC/OH Engineering Excellence Award
2021 ACEC National Award

$35 million

3,300 feet