Mahoning County should spend more wisely on road projects

Mahoning County should spend more wisely on road projects

Whenever the Mahoning County engineer’s office decides to improve any road or do road surfacing, their decision is not in the best interest of Mahoning County and results in unnecessary expense to the population and automobile drivers.

Their decision along with the commissioners’ approval as reported in the Vindicator about a week ago is to widen and pave Western Reserve Road from Tippecanoe Road west to Route 62 and make a left turn lane on the intersection of Route 46 and Western Reserve Road.

This proposed widening, which is being stated at an expense of $17 million, is a prime example of my accusation. To compound this road widening (due to a small increase in travel on this stated road), they will be in court for possession of “land domain” and for purchasing a church due to its closeness to the proposed road widening. This church has probably been there for over 80 years and it is a thriving institution.

Western Reserve Road should be paved and widened from Hitchcock Road east to South Avenue. Traffic on this section of Western Reserve Road has increased 100 times more than the proposed section of Western Reserve Road.

Western Reserve Road can be widened somewhat, but it does not have to be 32 feet with a 4-foot shoulder on each side of the road from a present 20 feet of roadway. Just widening this roadway to perhaps 28 feet with a small shoulder would be sufficient.

There are many similar roads in the Mahoning County that have a ditch 4 feet from the roadway.

The Mahoning County engineer’s office should show more concern for county taxpayers in today’s economy.

Neil D. Frasca, Youngstown