Portion of state Route 164 to be open during football game

NORTH LIMA -- The portion of state Route 164 that runs along the South Range School Complex in North Lima will be open during South Range High School's football game Friday night against East Palestine.
At a school board meeting at Greenford Middle School Monday night, schools Superintendent James Hall said the Ohio Department of Transportation announced the area will be open to two-way traffic from 4:30 to 11 p.m. Friday.
Hall said Route 164, also known as South Avenue Extension, originally was scheduled to be open to traffic by Aug. 30, in time for the start of school, which is Sept. 3.
He said ODOT has said if something unlikely were to happen to delay work being done on that area of the road, traffic would be restricted one way. Workers have been repairing the road throughout the summer.
Hall said most of the project, other than some landscaping and sidewalk repairs, is expected to be completed by the end of the month.
In other news, the school board agreed to allow South Range Soccer Club to use a portion of district-owned property along state Route 46 for games and practices.
The club has agreed to level out the area and flatten the land at the club's expense. Although the school district uses nearby ballfields for other sports, the area the soccer team is looking to use has not been occupied. Basically, the soccer club practices and participates in scrimmages. Hall said the school district does not intend to add soccer to its official sports roster.