In The News
Ohio highway department to undertake costliest project ever
CLEVELAND — Ohio's highway department is moving forward on what will be its most expensive project ever.
A planned 16-mile bypass around the southern Ohio city of Portsmouth is expected to cost nearly $430 million and will be financed through the Ohio Department of Transportation's first public-private partnership.
An association called Portsmouth Gateway Group will build the bypass and the state will pay for it over time through a 35-year contract.
The U.S. Department of Transportation last week announced a $209 million Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act loan for the highway last week.
The final cost to taxpayers hasn't been determined yet as the highway department is still finalizing the financing.
Construction is to begin this summer and completed in 2019.
Ohio Gov. John Kasich likes the idea of public-private partnerships. He has said they will speed up highway and bridge work that otherwise wouldn't happen for years because of a lack of government funding.
Supporters of the bypass around Portsmouth, a city of 20,000 that sits along the Ohio River, say it will bring economic development to an area of in where unemployment is high.
"My personal opinion is it's going to be very positive. It's going to open up new areas," John Lintz, a Scioto County program administrator, told The Plain Dealer in Cleveland.
The new route will allow drivers to avoid 26 miles and multiple stoplights, saving 16 minutes of travel time, according to the department of transportation. The state transportation department also said it will improve safety on the local roads.
Some are concerned that the route will draw travelers away from local gas stations and restaurants and it's not clear how much economic growth the project could generate, The Plain Dealer reported.
The transportation department doesn't have projections or an analysis on potential business growth.
"I live in that county, so I would like to know myself," said Kim Reynolds, the planning and development director for the 12-county Ohio Valley Regional Development Commission.
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