Expenses cause state panel to drop Route 30 project

The Route 30 project has been worked on since 1956.
By DENISE DICK
VINDICATOR STAFF Writer
LISBON -- While one Columbiana County highway project moved closer to construction and another held steady, a third project fell off of the state Transportation Review Advisory Council's list because of costs.
The panel recommended projects for state fiscal years 2007-12. Tier 1 projects are ready for construction while Tier 2 are at some stage of development but not yet at the construction stage.
Last May, Tier 2 included the following three projects that branched into Columbiana County:
UThe relocation of U.S. 62 from state Route 225 to Route 11. The project covers Stark, Mahoning and Columbiana counties.
UThe addition of a lane on state Route 170 from Homestead to St. Clair Avenue.
UThe relocation of U.S. Route 30 from state Route 44 to state Route 9. That project also affects Stark County.
TRAC removed the relocation of U.S. Route 30, with its projected $500 million price tag, from the list.
"There are no preferred alternatives at this time and environmental clearance takes about three years," said Ryan Larzelere, a spokesman for the Ohio Department of Transportation.
Needing funds
There are other significant projects across the state in need of funding, he said.
The project can be submitted to TRAC for funding in the future.
"It's kind of disappointing," said Jim Hoppel, a Columbiana County commissioner. "People here have been working on that project since 1956."
The roadway sees a lot of truck traffic, he said.
"Routes 62 and 30 are very important to the development of Columbiana County," Hoppel said.
While the Route 30 project fell from the list, the state Route 170 project moved from Tier 2 to Tier 1, Larzelere said, who noted that the project is set for 2007.
The project cost is $9.8 million.
"It's really important to Calcutta," Hoppel said. "That's where all of the strip plazas are and it's important for all of the commercial development going on there."
The $229.3 million relocation of U.S. 62 project held its Tier 2 spot. It remains in the feasibility study phase.