City of Tiffin selected to receive grant for roadway improvements

Tiffin, Ohio — The City of Tiffin has emerged as a recipient of coveted funding through the Small City Program, a funding initiative facilitated by the Ohio Department of Transportation.

This annual program, known for its significant impact, allocates an average of $10 million to chosen municipalities, granting a substantial ceiling of up to $20 million for each application. This year, an overwhelming demand for improvements led to requests exceeding $30 million.

A substantial allocation of $1,658,961 in federal funds has been earmarked for the city. This allocation will comprehensively cover 95% of the costs associated with the reconstruction of North Sandusky Street (SR 53) spanning from Hall Street to Tomb Street. This ambitious project is slated to restore the roadway to its former glory, assuring safety and quality. The anticipated commencement of construction is early 2026, as the funds are scheduled to become available in July 2025.

Tiffin city officials are concurrently proposing the resurfacing of North Sandusky Street north of Tomb Street, synchronizing this endeavor with the main reconstruction project. To offset the additional expenses tied to this expansion, the city is actively pursuing supplementary federal funding.

With this recent funding triumph, Tiffin’s City Engineer’s Office has demonstrated an impressive track record in securing resources for crucial community infrastructure projects. Since 2018, a staggering total of nearly $11.5 million in local, state, and federal grant funds have been harnessed to advance these projects.

“I thank ODOT for their continued support and partnership in regard to our road and bridge infrastructure. North Sandusky Street not only supports the City of Tiffin locally, but also, regionally, thus, the level of service and condition of this roadway is pivotal to the future expansion and growth of our city. These grant funds will now allow us to appropriately repair the roadway so that it can provide safe and efficient transportation needs for many years to come,” City Engineer Matt Watson said.