TIFFIN, Ohio — Tiffin has been awarded nearly $1 million in state-administered federal funding to reconstruct a section of East Perry Street, continuing work completed on another portion of the roadway several years ago.
The city received $968,620 through the Ohio Department of Transportation’s Small City Program for the reconstruction of East Perry Street between Jefferson Street and the Sandusky River, according to the City of Tiffin.
The project is estimated to cost approximately $1.05 million. The grant will cover 80% of construction costs as well as construction administration and inspection, while the city’s required 20% local match and design expenses will be paid through Road & Bridge Levy funds.
Design work is expected to begin in 2027, with construction currently scheduled for 2030.
The project will continue an earlier reconstruction of East Perry Street between Greenfield Street and Jefferson Street that was completed in 2023.
City Engineer Matt Watson said the project is part of a broader effort to rebuild state routes through Tiffin and address deteriorating infrastructure beneath heavily traveled roads.
“This grant award allows us to continue the initiative of rebuilding our state routes within our community,” Watson said. “Like the 2023 East Perry Street Reconstruction Project and the current North Sandusky Street Reconstruction Project, we are leveraging outside grants with our Road & Bridge Levy dollars to remove compromised brick underneath our truck routes.”
Watson said the city’s goal is to improve the long-term durability of high-volume roadways and extend the amount of time between future resurfacing projects.
Mayor Lee Wilkinson credited Watson and ODOT for securing the funding.
“I want to thank ODOT for their support of our community,” Wilkinson said. “I especially am thankful to City Engineer Matt Watson for going the extra mile to stretch our local dollars.”
The Small City Program provides federal transportation funding to eligible cities with populations between 5,000 and 24,999 for roadway and signal projects on the federal-aid highway system.
According to the city, ODOT received 15 applications seeking slightly more than $25 million during the latest funding round and awarded approximately $13 million.
Tiffin officials said the City Engineer’s Office has now secured approximately $8.7 million in state and federal grants for road and bridge infrastructure projects since voters first approved the Road & Bridge Levy in 2018.
