TRUMBULL COUNTY Officials await 82/46 study

The study is expected to be done in about a year.
By DENISE DICK
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- Most agree the state Routes 82/46 intersection presents a traffic problem, but government officials must wait until a traffic study is completed before addressing it.
"Until the study is completed, we're not going to know what's going to work there," John Getchey, executive director of Eastgate Regional Council of Governments, said at a meeting of government officials Monday to discuss the problems.
"You've got to look at the whole picture," he said.
That study, which is being done by a consultant, will include recommendations for improvements to the Routes 82-46 intersection, which has been ranked second most accident-prone in the county by the governor's office of highway safety. It's expected to be done in about a year.
Gary E. Newbrough, director of the Trumbull County Planning Commission, called the meeting to gauge whether Warren, Niles, Howland, Trumbull County and Eastgate officials and state legislators supported a need for change. Those attending indicated they do.
How study began
Getchey said the study started a few years ago as part of the North Road connector project, but expanded to the U.S. Route 422 corridor study and includes state Routes 82 and 46.
Darlene St. George, Howland administrator, questioned whether anything may be done to expedite completion of the study.
Getchey suggested writing letters to the Ohio Department of Transportation. He also was traveling today to a meeting in Columbus and said he'd speak to ODOT officials.
"It's a priority project," Getchey said. "We want to get this thing settled."
ODOT has begun short-term improvements in the area including adding a second left-turn lane for northbound traffic on state Route 46 turning west onto state Route 82, where traffic regularly backs up.
Another left turn lane also is being added from state Route 82 West to Route 46 South.
Newbrough also prepared a list of suggested improvements to apply for money from the federal appropriations bill. The project wasn't funded in the last round, but Getchey said the improvements suggested by Newbrough, including eliminating some left turns, will give a conceptual idea of what's needed.
"When you go for federal money, you need to have a concept," he said. "This gives a concept."
The study may recommend something that looks completely different from the concept.
denise.dick@vindy.com