Ohio Senate Passes Romanchuk's Bill for Efficient Highways

COLUMBUS—The Ohio Senate passed Senate Bill 155, sponsored by State Senator Mark Romanchuk (R-Ontario) which removes the requirement for the Department of Transportation to construct certain interstate interchanges.

Hundreds of people living around and near the proposed project criticized the plan which was originally passed as part of the State's Transportation Budget.
Senator Romanchuk met with them, heard their concerns, and worked to re-evaluate the project which was to construct a major interchange off of I-71 in Medina County.

Senate Bill 155 requires the Director of Transportation or the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency, to conduct a study to develop a traffic congestion management plan. 

"If the language was allowed to stay in the Ohio Revised Code, it will set the dangerous precedent that the General Assembly can legislate highway projects. This would have, undoubtedly, lead to the waste of public dollars," said Romanchuk. 

The bill now goes to the Ohio House.