The Ohio Department of Transportation's decision to contract a plan to change U.S. Route 33 in Athens and Meigs counties into a super two-lane highway has ignited mixed reactions from Athens County residents.

The Coalition Against Superfluous Highways, a grass roots organization founded in 1996, argues ODOT ignored local input when making its decision, said Craig Kinzelman, CASH steering committee member.

Brian Cunningham, deputy director of communications for ODOT, said the Transportation Advisory Council has given the project $4 million to move into the design phase. The council is ranking the project among 200 others, and its results will be announced in the next few months, he said.

The project has two parts, said John Dowler, district deputy director of ODOT. The first phase, which is being planned by Dodson-Stilson of Columbus, is estimated at $30 million. The second phase is estimated at roughly the same. The estimated total cost of the project is $54.1

million, he said.

Construction will not begin until the design phase is complete, Dowler said. The design phase will be funded until spring of 2001, at which time the project will be sold to a contractor to begin work, said Larry Coler, ODOT district production administrator. The project is estimated to take two years to complete.

A super two-lane highway, wider than a normal two-lane road, is designed to allow for safer, faster travel, because it includes turn lanes and deacceleration lanes, Athens County Commissioner David Ratliff said.

The new road alignment would be located west of the existing U.S. Route 33 beginning near Township Road 68 in Lodi Township in Athens County and ending at the existing four-lane section south of the city of Darwin in Meigs County.

ODOT is hoping the highway will bring greater economic attention to southern Ohio, Cunningham said.

"We are trying to open up access to certain areas, and this certainly does that," he said. "The project will allow for improved safety as well as promote economic development."

Ohio Sen. Jay Hottinger, R-Newark, said the new highway will be beneficial to the area.

"The Controlling Board's decision is welcome news to local residents and people who frequently travel through the area," he said. "I'm pleased to see additional progress made toward completion of the new 'super two' lane alignment project."

Despite the positive reactions from state officials, CASH said it is planning to protest the decision by sending letters of complaint to Ohio legislators.

Kinzelman said the super two-lane highway is a poor use of taxpayers' money, which better could be used to repair schools in Athens and Meigs counties.

Athens County Commissioner Lenny Eliason said the cost of the project is very high and unnecessary.

"Sure, it will make the road safer, but you can make a road safer [without] spending that large amount of cash," he said.

The roadwork also will cut through the hills along U.S. Route 33 and "gouge" the environment, Kinzelman said.

"Neither the [present] traffic figures nor the projected figures justify this road," he said. "To destroy the most beautiful part of our county for this road and to invoke eminent domain to do it for private profit and political interests is anti-democratic."