Bryce Cooper of Salem, left, and Brad Dustman of Salem, right, both laborers in Youngstown Laborers Local 125, working for Cornerstone Electric, Inc. of Salem, prepare traffic signal poles for installation at the corner of Front St. and Market St. in downtown Youngstown...In Background is Nate Rodgers of Homeworth, Ohio also a laborer with Cornerstone Electric, Inc...by R. Michael Semple

YOUNGSTOWN — An improvement project to Front Street began Wednesday and is closing westbound vehicular traffic on much of the road until the work is done in October 2022.

The work is part of the $27.65 million SMART2 (Strategic and Sustainable, Medical and Manufacturing, Academic and Arts, Residential and Recreation and Technology and Training) Network project that is improving several downtown streets.

The Front Street project, between Vindicator Square and Market Street, includes paving, new lighting, streetscaping, adding a bicycle path and reducing what is now two to three lanes in each direction to one in each direction with a turning lane in places.

Front Street between Vindicator Square and Market Street westbound will be closed during the entire project, said Charles Shasho, the city’s deputy director of public works.

The street’s eastbound side will be open to traffic. That side of the street is the location of three parking lots, the Youngstown Foundation Amphitheatre and the Youngstown Municipal Courthouse.

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