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County leaders urge drivers to slow down in work zones; engineers detail multimillion‑dollar projects
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Summary
Union and county officials urged drivers to slow down and be patient in work zones at the April 23 meeting, where commissioners also highlighted several ongoing and planned multimillion‑dollar road projects across Mahoning County.
A union leader told Mahoning County commissioners on Thursday that speeding and distracted driving in work zones endangers both workers and motorists, and county officials used the meeting to emphasize safety as several large road projects continue.
"When you see orange, I ask you to do these three things: slow down, pay attention and be patient," said Rich Trevisi, business manager of Labor Local 125, during a National Work Zone Awareness Week address. He added that while many assume workers are the most at risk in work‑zone crashes, "the vast majority of those killed ... are the drivers and their passengers."
Commissioners and staff followed with personal accounts about close calls in construction zones and repeated appeals to drivers to obey posted speed limits and avoid distractions. "You gotta pay attention," the presiding commissioner said while recounting time spent working near traffic.
County Engineer Pat (first referenced by colleagues at the meeting) outlined the scale of current infrastructure work: a three‑year Western Reserve Road project (presented at about $20,000,000), Glenwood Avenue (out for bid, roughly $8,000,000), the Mahoning Avenue Industrial Corridor (about $6.5 million), Market Street bridge rehabilitation (about $4.5 million) and a countywide paving program of roughly $8,000,000 for the year. Pat also noted recent national recognition and new roles he will hold at the National Association of County Engineers, which commissioners said will help represent the county on federal infrastructure issues.
The board reiterated that construction plans are reviewed against federal and state standards and that detours and temporary lane closures are intended to improve long‑term safety and efficiency. Commissioners asked residents for patience while work continues.
No formal policy action was taken during the discussion; the remarks framed the county’s ongoing project portfolio and public‑safety priorities ahead of related agenda items.
