Columbiana Co. to buy equipment to repair roads

LISBON -- Some of Columbiana County's back roads are expected to be improved with the purchase of road equipment the county and seven townships are buying.
Commissioners authorized the $371,956 purchase at their Wednesday meeting.
The money will be used to buy machinery that can reshape township road surfaces, making them less bumpy and safer.
The machinery also will help extend the life of roads by improving their ability to shed water, county Engineer Bert Dawson explained.
The county is putting up $196,956 toward the purchase. The money will come from the county's road and bridge fund, which is supplied by license plate fees and gasoline tax revenue.
The participating townships will each put up $25,000, amounting to a $175,000 share.
Townships taking part in the buy are Butler, Fairfield, Liverpool, Middleton, St. Clair, Unity and West.
Dawson estimated that about 30 miles of township road can be resurfaced annually using the equipment.
Only those townships sharing in the equipment costs will have their roads worked on using the machinery, Dawson said.