LISBON — Mayor Peter Wilson told council Tuesday that 2025 marked one of the village’s most productive years in decades, with long-planned infrastructure upgrades completed and several more nearing the finish line.

Wilson opened his year-end address by pointing to the completion of the Grant Street Bridge in May, capping more than four years of planning. Construction began in summer 2024, but engineering and funding discussions date back years as the village sought to replace the aging 1967 structure connecting Market and Grant streets.

The old bridge’s condition had prompted growing concerns about its weight limits and the vibration from traffic traveling over asphalt laid atop wooden decking. Wilson previously warned that if the bridge were forced to close, emergency response times to areas outside the village could be delayed by as much as 10 minutes. The new $3.6 million bridge was paid for almost entirely through state and federal grants.

Another long-awaited project — a new 150-foot, 500,000-gallon water tower off state Route 45 — went online last month. The project had been under discussion for more than 20 years. The $4.2 million tower, located across from the former Huntington Bank, will improve water pressure on Lisbon’s north side and includes upgraded waterlines, a new pump station and a pressure-reducing station. Grants covered roughly half the total cost.

Wilson said the village also made progress on its streets in 2025. East Washington Street was paved from Jackson Street to South Market Street at a cost of $220,000, most of it supported by grant funding. The village also repaved the downtown squares for the first time in more than 20 years using capital improvement funds — a change Wilson said has already improved the look and feel of the business district.

“We accomplished a lot this year for our residents and the village,” Wilson said.

Additional projects are nearing completion, including a comprehensive rewrite of Lisbon’s zoning code, which Wilson described as a massive, years-long effort. The updated code, led by a consultant along with Ryan Berg and Zach Barkley, is expected to take effect next month and aims to streamline development and eliminate inconsistencies in the village’s current regulations.

Wilson stressed that such progress is possible only because of sustained success in securing outside funding.

“For a village our size, it is impossible to do large infrastructural projects without aid,” he said.

This year, Lisbon received $465,000 to begin restoring a long-lost pedestrian and bike bridge that will connect the Greenway Trail to Willow Grove Park. The original swinging bridge was destroyed in a 2004 flash flood. With total costs estimated at roughly $930,000, recent grant awards — including major funding through the Ohio Department of Transportation’s RTPO program — are pushing the project closer to construction, which could begin as early as July 2026. Additional grants are also helping upgrade other sections of the main Greenway Trail.

The village received a $25,000 urban forestry grant from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources to improve curb lawns and strengthen the tree canopy through new plantings and maintenance. A smaller Home Depot grant will support improvements to the downtown gazebo.

Safety upgrades also continued this year. New crosswalk systems were installed along East Lincoln Way through an ODOT grant, with similar equipment planned for the intersection of West Lincoln Way and Thomas Road. The Soil and Water Conservation District also secured funding to address erosion concerns in Willow Grove Park.

Wilson acknowledged occasional disagreements among village leaders but said the year’s accomplishments demonstrate a shared commitment to improving Lisbon.

“I know we sometimes disagree,” he said, “but we accomplished a lot this year.”

selverd@mojonews.com