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Road repairs critical to local economy, Mahoning officials say
YOUNGSTOWN
Local government and economic-development leaders want to make sure pothole-pocked roads don’t become an obstacle course that impedes the Mahoning Valley’s livelihood.
Mahoning County and Jackson Township officials say road improvements in that strategically located township are essential to promote economic development near a network of major interstate highway interchanges in and near the township.
There, Lipkey Road is slated for reconstruction this year, and the county engineer’s office is hoping to repave Bailey Road next year.
The road problem, however, isn’t limited to Jackson Township.
Local officials hope a $10 million to $12 million, three-phase reconstruction of pothole-riddled Meridian Road, which forms the boundary between Youngstown and Austintown and has an interchange with Interstate 680, can start next year, using federal, state and local funds.
critical infrastructure
“Infrastructure is critical to any community’s business structure and business function,” said Anthony Traficanti, chairman of the Mahoning County commissioners.
Road conditions “could be a deterrent” for trucking companies considering using Jackson Township as a base of operations, said Tom Frost, chairman of the township trustees.
Based on his family’s experience in the trucking business, Traficanti observed that tire and rim replacements cost $400 to $500 each for tractor-trailers, whose front-end alignments can cost thousands of dollars.
“The quality of the roads is vital if we’re taking a site selector to a location” where a company is considering setting up shop, said Guy Coviello, vice president of government affairs and media for the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber.
“If we’re taking a site selector to a location, and if the quality of the road is as horrendous as some of our roads are right now, that’s an automatic mark against us,” Coviello said.
MERIDIAN ROAD
The chamber is “highly concerned” about the condition of Meridian Road, where company and employee vehicles have suffered pothole-related damage, Coviello said.
In that area, some companies are diverting shipments away from Meridian because of its poor condition, thereby incurring additional fuel costs and shipment time, he said.
“Transportation is extremely important in economic development,” said John Moliterno, interim director of the Western Reserve Port Authority, which also performs economic-development work.
The Niles-bound curb lane of U.S. Route 422 in part of Girard had to be closed for several weeks late this past winter until potholes could be patched, and it has since reopened, noted Moliterno, a Girard councilman.
Route 422, which runs alongside Vallourec Star, has an interchange with Interstate 80 in Girard.
strategic location
With its good freeway access and proximity to Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Akron and Canton, Jackson Township is “a great location for business,” said Mahoning County Engineer Patrick Ginnetti.
The township is the site of the interchange between interstates 76 and 80 and of the interchange between I-76 and Bailey Road.
It also is located near the Ohio Turnpike interchange serving the General Motors Lordstown plant.
The eastbound turnpike entrance ramp there will be closed until June 5, and the westbound entrance ramp will be closed until Nov. 20 for pavement replacement.
Mahoning County has applied for federal funds to repave the deteriorating, four-lane Bailey Road from Mahoning Avenue to the Trumbull County line next year, Ginnetti said. He estimated that project will cost $1.2 million.
Bailey, which goes to the GM plant, is a county road under county engineer’s department maintenance.
Jackson Township is seeking state and federal grants to repave about two miles of deteriorating township roads in Youngstown Commerce Park, which the township cannot now afford to repave, Frost said.
Road summit proposed
Frost proposed his township hall as the site of an emergency summit meeting of officials from all levels of government to address the road-repair challenge, and he even suggested calling out the Ohio National Guard to help repair roads.
“We need to have a summit” for government and business leaders to discuss long-term road-improvement strategy and funding, Traficanti said.
Coviello said the chamber would participate in the summit; and Moliterno said the port authority would participate if it’s invited.
The summit has not been scheduled.
A bipartisan road-improvement effort is needed, and Mahoning County needs more federal funds for highway improvements, Traficanti said.
At Traficanti’s request, Ginnetti compiled in February a list of road and bridge projects totaling $25.1 million in federal money received by the county since 2009.
Ginnetti said that’s not much, however, when one considers that complete road reconstruction costs $1 million per mile for one lane.
lipkey road
One problem county road in Jackson Township is the recently patched Lipkey Road, which is slated to get $900,000 worth of reconstruction, culvert repair, drainage improvements and repaving this year from Mahoning Avenue to the Trumbull County line.
That road improvement will be paid for by $600,000 in Ohio Turnpike mitigation money and $300,000 in local license-plate fee and fuel-tax revenue to the county’s engineer’s office.
Drainage around Lipkey is affected by Ohio Turnpike embankments and interchange ramps in Jackson Township, Ginnetti explained.
“You have a lot of cut-through traffic [on Lipkey] that’s going to Lordstown that’ll try to bypass the turnpike because of the tolls” on the turnpike, Ginnetti said.
Frost said the reconstruction of Lipkey will be “very significant,” noting that the road leads to a national Roman Catholic shrine and an assisted living center with 55 residents.
The federal Highway Trust Fund will be insolvent if Congress doesn’t act soon, and that would threaten funding for repaving Bailey Road, Ginnetti said.