Ohio rolls out $81M in road-improvement projects in Mahoning, Trumbull counties

By Ashley Luthern

aluthern@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

Orange barrels already are dotting the roadways as the Ohio Department of Transportation begins its construction season.

ODOT will spend about $31 million in Mahoning County and about $50 million in Trumbull County on new and continuing projects from last year, said Justin Chesnic, ODOT District 4 spokesman.

One of the largest new projects in Mahoning County is the resurfacing of state Route 46 from the Canfield limit to just south of New Road, and U.S. Route 62 from Canfield to Youngstown, costing $2.4 million. New turn lanes will be added to the intersection of state Route 46, state Route 62 and Herbert Road, Chesnic said.

ODOT will also realign the intersection, between Boardman and Beaver townships, of state Route 7 (Market Street), state Route 626 and Western Reserve by eliminating 626 — a project that has been discussed for a while, Chesnic said.

“Basically what [workers] will do is make a cul de sac at 626 so it would be a four-leg intersection,” he said, adding a new portion of road will connect 626 to Market Street.

State Route 626 will close for about a month during the $1.7 million project, which will last from the spring until October.

A project at another Boardman intersection has worried some local officials.

ODOT plans to widen U.S. Route 224 at the intersection of Market Street and add a right turn lane on 224 to give drivers an extra turn lane to turn north on Market Street. Two lanes of traffic in each direction of Route 224 will be open through the construction, beginning this summer and ending in November, Chensic said.

“I’m very concerned about the project. We’ll be meeting with the police and road departments about what could be done to alleviate that congestion,” said township Administrator Jason Loree.

Read the full story including a complete list of road projects for Mahoning and Trumbull counties Monday in The Vindicator and on Vindy.com.