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Harrison County roads vacated

ROAD DISCUSSION — Doug Crabtree, representing the Harrison Co. Engineer’s Office, recites a resolution to commissioners at Wednesday’s meeting. The resolution clarifies the vacation of Harrison County Road 40 and parts of county Road 29. -- Carri Graham

CADIZ — Two roads in Harrison County that have been closed for more than 50 years will officially remain closed, the Harrison County commissioners learned Wednesday.

Doug Crabtree, representing the Harrison County Engineer’s Office, presented a resolution to the commissioners that to clarifies the vacation of Harrison County Road 40 and parts of county Road 29, in sections 2, 3, 4, 8, 9 and 10 in Cadiz Township.

“Basically, this is to clear up some of the old (rights of way) when they stripped out that section of the county, they closed the roads. It (the resolution) has to do with the power plant and putting up some (rights of way) in that particular area in the county-owned properties. It’s to clarify and to satisfy attorneys that the roads are vacant,” Crabtree said.

The roads were originally closed on Aug. 30, 1965, when Consolidation Coal Co. filed a petition for the right to alter, widen and change a portion of Harrison County roads 29 and 40.

The roads were supposed to be temporarily closed for two years to allow crews to complete reconstruction improvements due to mining operations.

In May 1967, the commissioners signed a resolution that permanently closed county Road 40 in its entirety.

In December 1971, commissioners granted Consolidation Coal Co. a contact extension to complete the construction improvements on county Road 29 and recognized the permanent closure of county Road 40.

In October 2014, commissioners released Consolidation Coal Co. of all further responsibility of county Roads 28 and 29.

The final portion of the resolution states that the commissioners permanently vacate all previous portions of Harrison County Roads 29 and 40.

Commissioner Dale Norris made the motion to approve. Commissioner Donald Bethel seconded the motion, which was unanimously approved.

“They were stripped out but still come up on the map,” Norris said about the now permanently closed roads.

When asked if there would ever be any plans to reopen the roads, commissioners said no.

“You’ll never be able to drive through that,” Norris said.

Crabtree explained alternate routes have since replaced the old roads.

The commissioners signed a second resolution thanking Republican Gov. Mike DeWine and the Ohio General Assembly for their “strong support of county government in the state biennial budget bill.”

“This board applauds and sincerely thanks Gov. DeWine, House Speaker Larry Householder, Senate President Larry Obhof and the members of the Ohio General Assembly for their strong support of the state-county partnership in the state operating budget,” Norris said.

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