Feasibility study funded for Route 30 connector project

A long-discussed project to better connect Carroll County to U.S. Route 30 is moving forward, as the Carroll County commissioners announced Oct. 9 that $250,000 in funding has been secured for a feasibility study to determine the best route for a north-south connector to the highway.

The funding was received through the Ohio Mid-Eastern Governments Association Regional Transportation Planning Organization Capital Allocation Program. The study will identify the most efficient and practical path linking Carrollton with state Route 30, part of a broader effort to improve transportation and spur growth across Carroll, Columbiana and Stark counties.

The Ohio Department of Transportation and OMEGA will draft a request for proposals to hire engineering firms for the study and outline the project’s deliverables.

“This study will define what the connector between Carrollton and Route 30 will look like,” said Carroll County Commissioner Robert Wirkner, who has served as the county’s lead representative on the Regional Transportation Improvement Project since its creation in 2016. “It gives us the information we need to begin the long-range planning necessary for the future of this project.”

The RTIP was established through legislation spearheaded by the late state Senator Kirk Schuring, who envisioned a regional partnership that could combine public and private resources to complete major road projects. His legislation made the three-county RTIP the only organization in Ohio authorized to form public-private partnerships for highway construction.

The group’s ultimate goal is to complete U.S. Route 30 from Canton to state Route 11 and build a 14-mile connector tying Route 39 and Route 43 in Carrollton to the new highway. The project is seen as critical to both regional safety and economic development.

“This is a pilot program to show how local governments and private investors can work together to complete infrastructure,” Wirkner said.

Beyond economic development, the project promises important quality-of-life benefits for local residents. Carroll County lacks a full-service hospital, and the connector could cut emergency travel times by up to 15 minutes to facilities in Canton or Akron. Faster, safer travel could also encourage young families and retirees to remain in the county.

“The Route 30 project isn’t just about economics,” Wirkner said. “It’s about safety and quality of life for the people of this region.”

The push to complete Route 30 also gained momentum with the growth of the Utica Shale oil and gas industry. Heavy truck traffic from drilling operations has overburdened two-lane roads built in the 1960s, many of which are now considered unsafe and obsolete.

“There are millions of barrels of oil a day being hauled by truck down to the port of Wellsville,” Wirkner said. “Our current roads were never designed for that level of traffic.”

Improved access to the Wellsville deepwater port would strengthen the region’s energy logistics network while reducing road wear and congestion. RTIP estimates the completed corridor could help prevent more than 400 accidents a year across the three-county region.

The RTIP Board of Governors consists of a county commissioner and county engineer from each participating county. Representing Stark County is Commissioner Richard Regula, Carroll County is represented by Wirkner and Columbiana County by Roy Paparodis.

Regula, who now serves as president of the RTIP, has taken over the leadership role once held by Schuring. “No one can replace Senator Schuring, but I am going to do everything I can to bring this thing across the line,” Regula said. Wirkner added that Regula has “picked up the mantle” to ensure the project is completed and that Schuring’s vision has not been wasted.

“Each step brings us closer to making this project a reality for Carroll County and the surrounding region,” Wirkner said.