ARCHBOLD WEATHER

Two Weeks For Council Decision On St. Rt. 66




Jeff Fryman, Archbold mayor, said Archbold Village Council will take two weeks to think about the St. Rt. 66- Co. Rd. 24 highway realignment project before making a decision.

Council discussed the matter in a work session prior to its regular Monday, June 5 meeting.

Fryman said at its Monday, June 19 meeting, council will decide whether to recommend a “build” or a “no-build” option for the project.

Recommended options prepared by a consulting firm carried a price tag of about $39 million.

A build option recommends going forward with the project. A no-build calls for no additional work to be done.

Archbold is the LPA, or Local Public Agency. That designation essentially puts the village in charge of the project until it is submitted to ODOT.

Fryman explained if council selects a build option, the project goes to the ODOT central office in Columbus for review.

If the ODOT central office selects a no-build, the project stops.

If a build option is recommended, then the project goes before the Transportation Review Advisory Council (TRAC) for funding.

TRAC

TRAC will accept funding applications through the month of July.

However, Fryman said the ODOT central office is backed up six to eight weeks on project reviews.

The 2017 funding cycle could be complete by the time the central office makes a decision.

If the central office recommends a build, but TRAC denies funding, Archbold can resubmit its application every year for 10 years.

The TRAC website indicates it is only accepting applications for projects that currently have TRAC funds and need additional money to advance the project, or new projects that “demonstrate significant impact to jobs, regional economic impact, and have significant non-ODOT funding commitments.

“Extra consideration will be given to projects with non-ODOT funding commitments in the amount of 30% or greater of the total project cost.”

For a $39 million project, 30% is $11,700,000.

No Builds

The county commissioners of Fulton and Henry counties have each voted to recommend the no-build option for the project.

The three Henry County commissioners signed a letter to ODOT recommending the no-build choice.

Fulton County voted 2-0, with Bill Rufenacht absent from the May 9 meeting during which the vote was taken.

Tom VonDeylen, Henry County commissioner, said they could only support the project if ODOT builds a new Maumee River crossing in Napoleon and rebuilds two dangerous county road intersections with US24.

The Proposal

The Archbold proposal is to reroute traffic out of downtown Archbold.

The goal is to reduce traffic delays, provide direct access to the Ohio Turnpike interchange at St. Rt. 66, and offer faster, easier access to industries on the west side of Archbold.

The proposal recommended by Tetra Tech, a consulting engineering firm working with the village, is to reroute St. Rt. 66 from US20A south along Co. Rd. 24 in Henry and Fulton counties to US6.

The preferred option includes roundabouts at major intersections and an overpass over the Norfolk Southern tracks west of Gerald Grain Center.

Significant opposition has formed against the realignment, citing potential devastation to Archbold commercial businesses, high-speed highway traffic endangering farmers using Co. Rd 24 with their machinery, and a potential loss of a rural lifestyle for homeowners on Co. Rd. 24.



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