TRUMBULL COUNTY Widening projects aim to make 2 state routes Amish-friendly

The roads will not be striped for dedicated buggy lanes.
MESOPOTAMIA -- The Ohio Department of Transportation will meet with residents Thursday to explain projects to widen two roads in northwest Trumbull County to accommodate horse-drawn carriages.
The projects, which will involve the use of private land and have an impact on roadside wetlands and streams, will cost a combined $7.8 million, officials said.
Plans call for 8-foot shoulders to be added to state Route 87 between state Route 534 and 45, as well as shoulders to be added in several areas of state Route 534 between the northern edge of Mesopotamia and Sweet Road.
Both roads will also be re-paved, said ODOT spokeswoman Jennifer Richmond.
"These are very narrow roads, there are no shoulders and we have quite a number of Amish vehicles," she said.
The roads will not be striped for dedicated buggy lanes, she said.
Timelines
Work on state Route 534 is expected to begin in October 2005 and to take one year to complete. Detours are expected during some phases of construction, officials said. The estimated project cost is $3.3 million.
Work on state Route 87, which includes the widening of several bridges, is expected to begin in January 2007 and to take about two years to complete. The cost for that project is expected to be $4.5 million.
Landowners who will be affected by the road projects have been invited to the hearing, which will run from 5 to 7 p.m. at Mesopotamia Elementary on Kinsman Road.