Roundabout construction at Matthews Road causing headaches for residents

BOARDMAN TOWNSHIP, Ohio -

John Witherow lives along Matthews Road and has been directly impacted by the construction here since it began on June 16th.

"I have no room to get into my driveway, to back into my driveway. The neighbors, the guy next door, everybody from my house up to the corner has to use my driveway to get to their house," said Witherow.

The detour route of Thalia Road to Lake Park Road gets very congested during the morning and evening commutes.

"You got ODOT paving Midlothian, which is another inconvenience and you got the work on 224. So, to have three of the main east-west routes under construction at the same time is a major inconvenience," said Pat Ginnetti, Mahoning County Engineer.

Many motorists have tried to cut corners, literally, by driving through the parking lot of Heritage Presbyterian Church. Pastor Kristin Stroble said it has been a safety concern.

"We put a road closed sign and some cones, and they were stolen a couple nights ago. And before that they would be moved every morning when I came back. So, it's been a challenge," said Stroble.

Mahoning County Engineer Pat Ginnetti said, with the exception of rain delays, the project has been moving smoothly and must be completed before school begins.

"It's a temporary inconvenience until the project is done. More so here because it's a full closure as well, it's not even limited. You either have to go completely around or sit through the delays on the detour routes," said Ginnetti.

Reverend Stroble is hopeful the end result will be better traffic flow, but Witherow is skeptical.

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Roundabout construction at Matthews Road causing headaches for residents