Eastgate Marks 50 Years, Looks to Future

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Eastgate Regional Council of Governments marked 50 years in 2023. The metropolitan planning organization maintains required certifications and planning documents to qualify the region for grants.

Major projects in construction include Phase 1 of the “diverging diamond” interchange designed to reduce congestion at state Routes 46 and 82 in Howland Township, says James Kinnick, executive director. The Smart2 Network Project, funded in part by a $10.85 million federal grant, nears completion in Youngstown.

Seven major projects are in development, totaling over $114 million, Kinnick says. They include the resurfacing of Interstate 680 in Youngstown, upgrades to the Boardman corridor of U.S. Route 224 and removal of dams along the Mahoning River.

Eastgate and its partners have submitted grant applications totaling nearly $160 million. The largest is a $155 million application for funding through the Appalachian Community Grant Program, aimed at large-scale regional transformation projects.

Initiatives and opportunities Eastgate will be pursuing in 2024 include Valley Vision 2050, an economic plan developed with local partners.

Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.