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County wary of any change to U.S. 30’s path

LISBON — The local committee working to turn U.S. Route 30 into a freeway through Columbiana County is concerned plans to redirect some of the traffic could hurt those efforts.

County Engineer Bert Dawson, who serves as president of the county Transportation Improvement District, told the TID committee at this week’s meeting about the Ohio Department of Transportation’s plans for state Route 45 from Lisbon to West Point. Route 30 joins with Route 45 in Lisbon and the two officially become Route 45/30 for five miles until West Point, where Route 30 splits off to officially join with state Route 11 and Route 45 continues on its way south to Wellsville.

Dawson said ODOT is considering stripping that section of Route 45 of its shared status with Route 30 and instead directing drivers traveling on Route 30 to use nearby Route 11 — a freeway — when traveling between Lisbon and West Point. A public hearing to accept comments is scheduled for 2-4 p.m. April 3 at the historic train station on South Market Street in Lisbon.

Dawson had two concerns. The first is the proposal would redirect additional traffic into Lisbon from Route 11 via state Route 154, resulting in even more congestion at the Carter Lumber traffic light in town at the intersection with Jackson Street/Route 45. “And that’s already a disaster” since the traffic light at the busy intersection does not have a left-hand turning arrow, he said.

ODOT announced nearly three years ago it intended to widen the intersection slightly and install a new traffic signal that would allow for left turns for motorist wanting to go south on state Route 45. ODOT announced this week the traffic signal project is scheduled to occur this year as part of its plans to redirect traffic from the West Point-to-Lisbon section of Route 45.

This improvement is one of 12 spot improvements ODOT has planned for Route 30 in lieu of turning the two-lane road into a freeway from Canton to Route 11. The TID board has proposed building a limited-access freeway from West Point to Hanoverton as a major first step, and Dawson said redirecting Route 30 motorists onto Route 11 would be counterproductive.

“We’re using the West Point interchange (with Route 11) for the U.S. 30 project and that might make it harder if we have 30 going somewhere else.,” he said. “I really don’t see any real advantage for the county by moving 30.”

The board voted to officially oppose the plan, and Dawson, who has already expressed his concerns to ODOT, will represent them at the public hearing.

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