The city of Akron in Ohio has adopted a $341.9 million capital improvements budget for 2026, highlighted with projects that enhance transportation infrastructure throughout the city and renovate vital infrastructure.
More than $53 million was allocated for transportation infrastructure improvements, including approximately $24 million for road projects and more than $10 million for bridge renovations.
The capital budget is approved separately from the city’s annual operating budget. It outlines upcoming investments in the city’s physical infrastructure.
Highlights of the capital budget include:
- More than $100 million allocated for significant water and sewer projects, including the completion of the Northside Interceptor Tunnel and the $23.5 million replacement of the historic Brittain Road Reservoir.
- Launching a multi-year full renovation of the Stubbs Justice Center, which houses the Akron Police Department. The city’s initial $4.2 million capital outlay will begin with replacing several transport elevators, replacing the heating and cooling lines from the basement to the 10th floor, and starting design of the full renovation.
- $6.5 million on resurfacing approximately 52 centerline miles of Akron roadway, as well as repairs to concrete streets. The city will also undertake major repair projects to Home Avenue, North Main Street in North Hill, and South Main Street between Bartges and Cedar.
- Investing $1 million in the city sidewalk program which will allow the city to complete approximately 225 repair requests.
- Supporting Akron’s parks and public spaces through new playground and recreationimprovements totaling $6.1 million across the city. Improvements include the new city meadows program, which will improve the natural beauty and wildlife of certain parks while reducing mowing and stormwater runoff.
- $8.9 million on housing and community development, including construction of infill housing, as well supporting neighborhood community development corporations, and beginning implementation of the Innerbelt Master Plan.
- $23.4 million to remove galvanized lines that were connected to lead lines that were previously eliminated. The city’s goal is to remove all galvanized lines by the end of 2027.
Photo by Threeblur0 at English Wikipedia, CC BY 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0, from Wikimedia Commons
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