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HOWLAND -- Next year could be another busy year for road construction, thanks to the township receiving a combined $621,250 investment from the Ohio Department of Transportation.
As June came to a close, Gov. Mike DeWine, Lt. Governor Jim Tressel and ODOT Director Pamela Boratyn announced that the Transportation Improvement District (TID) Program would award $8.9 million to support 26 transportation projects in 19 counties.
The projects will provide access to developable land, ease access to existing businesses, and alleviate traffic congestion around commercial areas, and are expected to support more than 19,400 jobs and more than $3 billion in private sector capital investments across the state.
Among the 26 projects were two in Howland, the only Trumbull County project sponsor to make the list.
One of the projects, costing $500,000, targets the Mines Road and state Route 46 intersection, constructing a left turn lane and a traffic signal on Mines Road and state 46. It is expected to create 205 new jobs, while retaining 360 others.
"These improvements are needed for large employers who are continually expanding and have invested over $26 million in the area," the project description states.
The other project, a $121,250 improvement to County Highway 69 (Niles Warren Road), entails improving the road at the intersection of Burton Street and Deforest Road, and will create a cul-de-sac in the township. The improvements were deemed required for existing businesses to continue freight logistics operations and support a "new company's investment of $680 million," according to its description.
The investment the description was referring to was the decision of Texas-based Kimberly-Clark Fortune 500 paper products producer, to create a new facility in a once-vacant area of the township, which is expected to cost between $680 million to $875 million through its new construction, installation of equipment and machinery.
Township Administrator James Pantalone said that while the money from the TID projects wasn't coming to the township, but rather being managed by the county, he deemed it an investment they were "very proud to have."
He said one of the projects, the Mines Road improvement through a turning lane, was going to help with the volume of crashes, noting it to be a dangerous intersection.
Pantalone confirmed the Burton Street and DeForest Road improvements were related to Kimberly-Clark's involvement in the area, calling it some "reconfigurations."
"Howland Township, Warren city, the Port Authority, have all put in some matching dollars for that project, as well," Pantalone said.
Pantalone said they have other projects the township hopes to get TID funding for in the future, such as the Howland Springs realignment project.
"We feel that is a side impact to the DDI (Diverging Diamond) and all those other things, and it will spur some economic development in that area, as well," Pantalone said.
Trustee James LaPolla said he doesn't think the incoming construction will impact local businesses' ability to function.
"I think businesses have planned; they've known about these road construction projects for several years now," LaPolla said. "I think all businesses that are around this construction have planned for it; even my business is on one of the roads that's gonna be under construction in the next phase."
Trustee Matthew Vansuch said the coming improvements date back years, recalling the Golden Triangle Infrastructure Improvement Plan, which last had a recorded update in May 2022, according to the township's website, looking at both projects as needed with the anticipated increased traffic.
"With the anticipated closure of Howard Wilson, the streets that empty out onto 46 are going to be seeing increased traffic; those streets need the attention and the love to address what we anticipate to be the increased traffic," Vansuch said. "Mines Road is one of them."
Trustee Frank Dillon said he was "elated" that the township was fortunate enough to be the only two projects from the county to receive funding.
"I think that we've been extremely progressive in bringing in businesses and people to work in the township and bringing in people from outside the township for all the retail outlets," Dillon said. "I think that benefits everybody in the long run."