MVSD official questions details of plan for I-80 widening

State officials have not notified the district on when construction may start.
By SHERRI L. SHAULIS
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
MINERAL RIDGE -- A plan to widen at least a portion of Interstate 80 is in the very early stages but is already creating some minor concerns.
The Ohio Department of Transportation wants to eventually widen I-80 to three lanes in each direction, including the portion that travels across the Meander Reservoir. The reservoir is owned by the Mahoning Valley Sanitary District and provides drinking water for more than 300,000 customers in Mahoning and Trumbull counties.
But some details about who will pay for portions of the project upon completion are being questioned by local officials.
Tom Holloway, MVSD chief engineer, said ODOT officials told him the initial design plans for the project are complete, and state officials are making preliminary contact with property owners affected by the project to secure the additional rights of way needed.
He said he's not been given any time line for when ODOT plans to start construction, though.
"We've just received their initial submittal," he said. "There is still a lot of work and a lot of details that need worked out."
Wants more acreage
The state currently has right-of-way access from the MVSD for I-80, but wants an additional 44 acres for the future expansion, Holloway said.
"They need the additional room because my understanding is they want to move the eastbound lanes a little bit and also construct spill containment facilities," Holloway said.
Though Holloway has informed MVSD's board of directors there should be no major problems with the expansion, he is taking exception with some of the details in the initial proposal about those containment facilities.
ODOT plans to construct the containment facilities that would funnel any material that may spill from I-80 away from the public's water supply, he said. The containers will be designed to also handle rainwater, Holloway said, in case a spill occurs during a downpour.
"They will be designed to handle a 100-year rain, so they will cover the worst-case scenario," he said.
Responsibility for costs
But after the containers are in place, ODOT wants MVSD to assume all costs associated with maintenance, repairs and even replacement, if necessary, of the containers.
Holloway said he's already made ODOT officials aware of his concerns, and MVSD directors have given the issue to their attorney, Charles Richards, for review.
"As far as I'm concerned, those containers are a function of the roadway, and that's ODOT's concern," Holloway said.
He said he's also suggested the request be looked at by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency for reviews on what impact the widening project may have on the reservoir and the surrounding land.
slshaulis@vindy.com