Wellsville Intermodal Facility continues area economic growth

WELLSVILLE

Step back in time a decade and operations along the Ohio River at the Wellsville Intermodal Facility were quite different.

Today’s operations hadn’t really started yet, but the idea for them was there.

Columbiana County Port Authority members saw the potential for an operation that would benefit the immediate and surrounding areas.

“We are a major maritime system,” said Tracy Drake, executive director of the port. “Some people don’t realize that.”

The Columbiana County Port Authority has owned 70 acres of the Wellsville Intermodal Facility property since the late 1990s.

Before becoming a major maritime system, it was essential to have a dedicated Clark Avenue interchange off of state Route 7 for trucks coming in and out of the facility.

Next came the inclusion of rail.

And then the big project in 2011: A state-of-the-art 60-ton bridge crane.

Read much MORE in Sunday's Vindicator.