Efforts advance to expand and improve Ohio 53

PORT CLINTON — Ottawa County officials have stepped up efforts to expand and improve Ohio 53, a highway that's important to local tourism in the summer months.County officials recently formed the Ottawa County Improvement Transportation District, a useful step in obtaining state funding, and state lawmakers representing the district amended state law to make the highway eligible for economic development road funds.Ohio 53 serves as a tourism gateway, providing access to attractions such as the Miller Ferry taking people to the islands, Liberty Aviation Museum and the Lake Erie Shores and Islands Welcome Center.But in the summer, traffic on the highway, which has just two lanes, often is backed up when vehicles have to make a left turn into local businesses, said Ron Lajti Jr., Ottawa County's engineer.In addition, when people get off of Ohio 2 to head north on Ohio 53, they join with other traffic and are funneled into one lane, creating a safety hazard, Lajti said. Ohio 53 needs a new interchange at Ohio 2 and needs to be widened from State Road to Ohio 163, Lajti said. Ultimately, it would be a good idea to improve Ohio 53 from Ohio 2 all the way to Miller Ferry, he said. In addition, State Road from Ohio 53 to Gypsum Road needs to be improved to accommodate United State Gypsum Co. traffic, Lajti said.Lajti is the chairman of the new Transportation Improvement District. The other members of the five-person board are Jamie Beier Grant, who runs the Ottawa County Improvement Corp.; Sheriff Steve Levorchick, county auditor Jennifer Widmer and regional planning director Mark Messa.The group is completing its bylaws and will meet a May 31 to turn in an application with the state to form the Transportation Improvement District, Lajti said.He said Ohio has 40 transportation improvement districts, which compete for $4.5 million in state funding.He said the District 2 of the Ohio Department of Transportation is seeking funding to improve the Ohio 2 and Ohio 53 interchange, which carries a price tag of roughly $3.5 million.Work to widen Ohio 53 from Ohio 2 to Ohio 163, possibly by adding a middle turning lane, would cost $4 million, Lajti said.In addition to trying to obtain Transportation Improvement District Funds, Lajti said he is working with Beier Grant to obtain 629 funds, which are used for road construction that helps support jobs, and JobsOhio transportation funding.When the Ohio General Assembly was working on the recent transportation bill, the one that increases the state's gas tax on July 1, state Rep. Steve Arndt, R-Port Clinton, and state Sen. Theresa Gavarone, R-Bowling Green, amended state law to allow 629 funds, also known as Roadwork Development funds, to be used for road work that deals with tourism jobs, and not just factory jobs.Arndt, a Port Clinton resident and a longtime Ottawa County commissioner before joining the Ohio House, has been working for years to improve Ohio 53. He announced recently he plans to retire from the Ohio House, effective July 31. atrick McColley, deputy director for District 2 of the Ohio Department of Transportation, wasn't immediately available for comment. McColley has been working with local officials to revamp Ohio 53, Ottawa County officials said. Members of the Ottawa County Transportation Improvement District pose with two lawmakers who supported funding to improve Ohio 53. From left: State Rep. Steve Arndt, Ottawa County engineer Ronald P. Lajti Jr., Jamie Beier Grant of the Ottawa County Improvement Corp., state Sen. Theresa Gavarone, Ottawa County auditor Jennifer J. Widmer, planning director Mark Messa and Sheriff Steve Levorchick.