Slowly but Surely, State Road Project Moves Forward

Piece by piece, the State Road widening project is coming together.

On Monday night during its regular meeting at the , the Cuyahoga Falls City Council unanimously approved three ordinances to acquire property along the State Road corridor for the project.

Since last summer, the city has been in negotiations with 81 property owners who control 97 parcels of land in the prospective construction zone, said city engineer Tony Demasi.

Demasi said settlements have been reached with about 90 percent of the landowners whose property will be affected by the widening.

However, negotiations with the Mandarin House, located on the corner of Bath and State Road, hit a rough patch last Monday at a city council committee meeting when Falls officials wanted to continue with a design plan that would cut into the parking lot of the Chinese restaurant.

The plan consists of installing a right-turn lane on Bath Road to accommodate motorists who want to head north on State Road.

Council members Jerry James, Terry Mader and Diana Colavecchio, and Ed Hwee -- the owner of the Mandarin House -- argued against the additional lane.

Demasi said he'd work with Hwee and seek alternative solutions.

As of this past Monday, Hwee informed James that he's in "cordial talks" with city officials and is optimistic about resolving the situation in a timely manner.

If all goes as planned, the cty should get the green light to break ground by this December, said Demasi.

The $9 million project, funded, in part, by the Ohio Department of Transportation, is aimed at widening a two-mile stretch of State Road from Graham to Quick Road, relieving traffic congestion, reducing car accidents and spurring new retail development.

For more on this story, read on:

Mandarin House Owner Stands His Ground on State Road Widening Project