ST. CLAIRSVILLE — Improvements and repairs were on the Belmont County Board of Commissioners’ agenda Wednesday, with more slide repairs being addressed and renovations to the courthouse plaza in the coming years.

Commissioner Jerry Echemann described some of the plans.

“We’re working on the courthouse plaza project,” he said.

The project would be completed using Federal Highways Administration Transportation Alternative Program funding administered through the Ohio Department of Transportation, with funding for 95 percent of the project.

He said some of the goals include making the courthouse area more accessible to people with disabilities.

“There’s improvements that can be made. Beautification. We’re talking about possibly a fountain,” Echemann said, adding the funding may not cover a fountain or other additions, and the commissioners may determine if area business might contribute. “There’s certain things the state won’t pay for. … That’s still an important project, but in real early, early stages.”

Echemann said the parking area beside the courthouse for county officials will likely be converted into an extension of the plaza with additional seating area for the public.

Echemann said the plaza area project was approved chiefly due to its ties with National Road and U.S. 40 running in front of the courthouse.

“That’s eventually going to be a very nice thing,” he said. “Anytime you can get something 95 percent funded.”

Commissioner Josh Meyer said the cost has not yet been determined, but the funding will cover 95 percent.

Gabe Hayes, architect with the Wallace Pancher Group and working on the plans, said the funding was designated for transportation-related projects other than highways and roads. He said much of the design work has been completed and could be in the Ohio Department of Transportation’s 2025 construction season.

“There were a lot of things in that plan that were eligible for Transportation Alternative Program planning dollars,” he said. “The sidewalks date back to 1990 and have gotten damaged.”

Echemann spoke about other projects.

“Hopefully by late summer you’ll see the County Home come down. That’s been an ongoing thing,” he said. “We’re trying to make sure we get the drawing to the state so that we don’t have to have that project delayed another year.”

The commissioners also opened bids for a slide repair project on Fulton Hill Road — or Belmont County Road 42 — and turned them over to Belmont County Engineer Terry Lively.

Craig Edward Susany Inc. of North Lima, Ohio, bid $495,738; Ohio-West Virginia Excavating of Powhatan Point bid $418,309; Litman Excavating of New Martinsville, West Virginia bid $549,725; Shelly & Sands of Rayland bid $483,236.

The engineer’s estimate for the work is $499,750.

Lively said the project has been a long time coming and will likely begin this month.

“This is from the 2019 disaster. This is the first of our 2019 projects that we’re getting to,” he said. “There’s not as many 2019 projects as there are 2018, but we’re happy to get this underway. This is a pretty bad slip on top of Fulton Hill. It’s kind of sparse up there as far as houses go, but it’s still an inconvenience for the people who live up there.”

He expects work to be complete in about three months.

“There’s actually two slides in this project. The one’s a pretty good size, I think it’s about 215 feet long and the other’s only like 60,” Lively said.

The commissioners also held a subdivision hearing to vacate a 150-foot section of Low Gap Road, a private road off Little Captina Road in York Township.