Residents welcoming I-80 roadwork that closed 6 ramps, trustee says

AUSTINTOWN

Ohio Department of Transportation crews recently closed six ramps on Interstate 80 from Austintown to Girard, causing traffic congestion in the township.

According to the ODOT website, the construction is part of a $91.2 million project to widen I-80 between state Route 46 and state Route 193 (Belmont Avenue) in Mahoning and Trumbull counties.

The project will add one lane of traffic in each direction on I-80.

Ken Carano, Austintown trustee chairman, said although the ramp closures and construction is an irritant, he thinks most residents are accepting the repair process.

“We have gone through such a horrendous winter, and roads have been so unbelievably bad, people are welcoming the roads being worked on,” he said. “Everyone’s just got to be patient.”

Brent Kovacs, ODOT public information officer, said the first two weeks of any big project are always the worst, but traffic congestion is never unexpected.

Read more about the projects in Wednesday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.