WARREN, Ohio – County Road 69 in Howland Township, which goes past the Kimberly-Clark Corp. manufacturing site, has been proposed for closure.
Also known as Pine Avenue SE in Warren and Niles Warren River Road in the township, the roadway connects Warren to Niles and runs through property where Kimberly-Clark owns both sides of the road.
Kimberly-Clark, which makes consumer paper products, is in the process of building an $800 million manufacturing plant and considering building a $120 million distribution center on the property as well.
Businesses and others potentially affected by the road closure can attend a public viewing of the section of roadway at 1 p.m. Dec. 16. A special public hearing to talk about the project also is scheduled for 10 a.m. Jan. 14 in the Trumbull County commissioners’ hearing room.
On Wednesday, commissioners voted to set the dates without commenting on the proposed road closure. Before making a decision, the commissioners will consider a traffic impact study and the input of area businesses.
Another road is being proposed for the area as well. The Western Reserve Port Authority entered into a capital lease agreement with Kimberly-Clark and secured $17.2 million from the All Ohio Future Fund for infrastructure improvements, including a new access road to serve Kimberly-Clark and other companies.