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Up ahead: several smooth routes to Canfield Fair
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By Elise Franco
Canfield
Several major traffic routes into the Canfield Fair are paved and ready for the thousands of motorists expected to attend.
Both lanes of Western Reserve Road will be open during the fair to accommodate heavy traffic during that period, said Mahoning County Engineer Richard A. Marsico.
The road was closed for about 45 days starting July 11.
Although through traffic will be flowing both eastbound and westbound, workers on the current widening project may be working along the sides of the road, he added.
In a yearlong, $4,043,000 project, the road is being widened between Tippecanoe Road and state Route 46 by workers from A.P. O’Horo Co. of Liberty. Eighty percent of the money for the project is coming from federal highway funds and the rest from local funds.
Marilyn Kenner, chief deputy engineer, said Tippecanoe Road in Canfield, a major route leading into the fair, was sealed recently.
“Tippecanoe was being used as a detour for Western Reserve. ... Even though we patched, it was extremely bumpy,” she said. “We felt it would be in our best interest to ... put in a chip-and-seal surface.”
Kenner said workers milled out 2 inches of the road before applying the seal, which is temporary.
“It’s temporary for about a year, and we do intend to come back and lay about 2 inches of asphalt,” she said.
The $74,000 job, finished about two weeks ago, was partially paid for through a grant from the Ohio Public Works Commission, she said.
Kenner said the work wasn’t done to coordinate with the start of the fair.
“It has everything to do with how our bids come in and when our money becomes available,” she said.
Lt. Chris Heverly of the Ohio State Highway Patrol Canfield Post said no matter which route motorists take, they should use caution and plan for potential delays.
“The worse thing they can do is wait too long to leave,” Heverly said.
He said last year’s fairgoers who were attending evening shows parked at hotels near state Route 11 and walked to the fairgrounds because of bumper-to-bumper traffic. There also was a rash of minor car crashes last year, he added.
“Normally, there aren’t many accidents,” Heverly said. “Fortunately the stop-start of traffic meant that they were only minor crashes.”
Highway-patrol troopers will be stationed at all main entrances to the fair.
“We just encourage everyone to be patient,” he said.