LISBON County OKs road for power plant

The land for the road has been donated.
By NORMAN LEIGH
VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU
LISBON -- If plans for a proposed $600 million electric generation plant proceed, Columbiana County will oversee construction of a road to serve it.
Commissioners approved the plan at their meeting Tuesday after county Engineer Bert Dawson explained it.
Dawson said township roads near the primary site proposed for the plant are ill-suited.
They are narrow and in some cases feature bridges that can't bear the heavy construction traffic if the plant is built, Dawson said.
The primary location proposed for the plant is along St. Jacob-Logtown Road in Center Township.
Road details: Dawson asked commissioners to approve a plan for constructing a nearly 4,000-foot road from state Route 45 near the Adams Road intersection in Center Township to the power plant site, where it will dead end.
Czonka Bros. Farms of Lisbon has agreed to donate the land for the road, Dawson said.
The road won't be needed if the state fails to approve the plant or stipulates that it must be built elsewhere, he said. The alternative site for the plant is along state Route 45 in Salem Township.
Funding for project: Dawson added that neither the county nor Center Township would pay for the road construction, which could cost more than $400,000. The money would come from the company building the plant and possibly from state funds, Dawson said.
The road would be turned over to the township, which would maintain it, he added.
Congentrix Energy Inc. of Charlotte, N.C., is proposing to build the power plant.
Getting approval: The proposal is before the Ohio Power Siting Board. Approval could take months.
Construction is expected to take about two years and employ about 500 workers. The plant will employ about 30 people full time.
leigh@vindy.com