MAHONING VALLEY Officials seek $9.5M for 3 road projects

Widening state Route 46 in two townships would cost $6 million.
By DAVID SKOLNICK
VINDICATOR POLITICS WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Mahoning Valley officials are asking a state transportation council for $9.5 million worth of funding for local road projects.
Officials from Grow Mahoning Valley, the infrastructure committee of the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber, and the Eastgate Council of Governments presented plans for three projects Tuesday to the state Transportation Review Advisory Council at a meeting in Independence.
TRAC evaluates and approves state funding for proposed major highway projects and counts former Youngstown Mayor Patrick Ungaro among its members.
Areas involved: Barbara Ewing, the chamber's vice president of public policy who made presentations to TRAC, said the Valley officials requested:
U$6 million for a construction project to widen state Route 46 between New Road in Austintown Township and Salt Springs Road in Weathersfield Township.
The plan is to expand the road, which is primarily two lanes, to five lanes through Austintown and to three lanes through Weathersfield. If funded by TRAC, the project would begin in 2006.
U$2.5 million for right-of-way acquisitions for the Hubbard Arterial project that would connect the Albert Street exit off the Madison Avenue Expressway on Youngstown's east side to Interstate 80.
The construction phase of the project is estimated to cost $45 million and there is no timetable set for building the arterial.
U$1 million for an upgraded environmental study to expand U.S. Route 62 to tie in Stark, Mahoning and Columbiana counties along that route.
Like the Hubbard Arterial, there is no timetable for construction for this project.
TRAC will evaluate the Valley's proposals along with those from other parts of the state and is expected to make a decision about funding in December or January, Ewing said.
skolnick@vindy.com