80-mile loop of Pennsylvania roads proposed by group as scenic byway

By LAURE CIOFFI
VINDICATOR PENNSYLVANIA BUREAU
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- There's no doubt there are many scenic roads in Lawrence and Butler counties.
Now, a group is trying to make an 80-mile loop through both counties an official scenic byway.
Lawrence County commissioners agreed Thursday to put their approval behind the project, which must ultimately be approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.
Proposed byway
Dubbed the North Country Scenic Byway, the proposed route follows the edges of Lawrence County going through Volant and New Wilmington at the north, Pulaski, Mahoning and North Beaver townships to the west, and Wampum and Ellwood City to the south.
The path goes through McConnell's Mill State Park and onto Moraine State Park in Butler County. It then loops up to Slippery Rock, Pa., and then again into Lawrence County.
Doug Smith of the Pennsylvania Southwest Commission said the designation could open those roads up to special funding sources, and it also puts the region on the statewide scenic byways map.
The only restriction, Smith said, is that local municipalities must pass ordinances restricting new billboards from being erected along the route. Current billboards are not affected, he said.
If approved by the state, special scenic byway signs will be erected along the route.
Amy McKinney of the Lawrence County Planning Office said local municipalities and tourist promotion agencies in both counties are on board with the project.
Other news
In other business, county commissioners designated June 17 as Donnie Iris Day in Lawrence County. Iris, a native of Ellwood City, recently released a new album named for his hometown.
cioffi@vindy.com