Largely Excerpted from:
Portage County to see 14 state road projects this year
Eric Marotta
Akron Beacon Journal, March 23, 2023
 
Additional Information from:
Portage County Engineers, https://www.portagecounty-oh.gov/engineer/
ODOT, https://www.transportation.ohio.gov/projects#page=1&topics=all
 
Stanley Road Bridge Replacement, Windham Township
This is a bridge over Mahoning Creek.  Construction work is expected to begin in the summer of 2023 and be completed in the winter of 2024.  This is a cycling connector between the Garrettsville area (Rt 82, Brosius Rd, etc.) and Rt 303.
 
Jones Road Bridge Replacement, Palmyra.
Approval for work expected in June 2023.  Starting date TBD – perhaps 2024.  This is likely the bridge on the north side of I-76.  This road is near the west side of Lake Milton.
 
Randolph Rd Bridge Replacement, Randolph Township
Located at Potter Creek, 0.3 mile west of Trares Rd. Construction is estimated to begin in May 2024 and be completed in September 2024.
 
Resurfacing of State Route 88
Work will be from SR 305 to the Geauga County line in Hiram & Nelson Townships. Project also includes minor bridge repairs.
 
Microsurfacing of SR 303
Work will be between SR 44 and- SR 700 (Shalersville to Freedom Townships). This may impact cyclists traveling north-south on Peck (connector from The Portage to the Headwaters Trail), Limeridge, and Asbury Roads.  This project also includes microsurfacing in Ashtabula, Stark & Summit Counties.
 
Culvert Replacements
Hankee Rd (Freedom Township) remains closed between Asbury Rd and 700.
State Route 14 just north of the Columbiana County line.
SR 44 south of SR 82.
SR 44 between Lovers Lane and Lake Rockwell Rd.
SR 700 just south of Pioneer Trail in Deerfield, Mantua, Hiram & Ravenna Townships. 
 
Resurfacing of Route 82
Resurfacing projects are also planned for state Route 82 in Mantua and Windham townships (reported by BJ, but details not found on ODOT site).
 
State Route 43 widening in Streetsboro
Project: Widening of Route 43 to create a center two-way, left-turn lane between Route 14 and Frost Road in Streetsboro. Project also adds a second southbound lane between Evergreen Drive and the Ohio Turnpike and converts the outside northbound through lane to a right-turn lane at the Route 43/Evergreen Drive intersection.
Estimated start: April 2023
Estimated end: August 2024
Traffic impacts: A minimum of one lane of traffic will be maintained in each direction on Route 43 except for three separate weekend closures. Various residential side streets will be closed ranging from seven to 30 days.
 
State Routes 5, 14, 183 and 225 resurfacing
Project: Resurfacing in multiple townships, including of Route 5 from the eastern Ravenna corporation limit to the Trumbull County line, Route 14 from Route 183 to U.S. 224, Route 183 from Route 14 to U.S. 224, and Route 225 from U.S. 224 to the Stark County line.
Estimated start: April 2023
Estimated end: September 2023
Traffic impacts: A minimum of one lane of traffic will be maintained by flaggers.
The widening of Route 14 in Streetsboro should wrap up this summer, as will work on the Route 14 bridge over Route 5 in Ravenna Township.
 
State Route 303 microsurfacing
Project: Microsurfacing of Route 303 between Route 44 and Route 700.
Estimated start: April 2023
Estimated end: September 2023
Traffic impacts: A minimum of one lane of traffic will be maintained by flaggers on Route 303.
 
State Route 43 resurfacing in Kent
Project: Resurfacing of Route 43 from the northern Kent corporation limit to Cuyahoga Street (Just south of the Little City Grill).  This will impact the road in front of Kent Roosevelt High School and Standing Rock Cemetery, an area used as a connector between the Franklin Connector/Summit Bike and Hike Trail, and The Portage Hike and Bike Trail. The connection (West to East) involves riding on Hudson Rd, cutting through the Middle and Highschool drives, and crossing 43 to the Riverbend neighborhood. The road from Cuyahoga Street to the north corporation line is scheduled to be repaved this year.
Additionally, there will be concrete pavement repairs on Route 43 from Fairchild Avenue to West Main Street in the city of Kent.
Estimated start: April 2023
Estimated end: November 2023
Project cost: $2 million
Traffic impacts: A minimum of one lane of traffic will be maintained by flaggers on Route 43.
 
State Route 59 resurfacing in Ravenna
Project: Resurfacing of state Route 59 from the western to eastern Ravenna corporation limit. Project includes minorbridge repairs.
Estimated start: September 2023
Estimated end: November 2024
Traffic impacts: A minimum of one lane of traffic will be maintained by flaggers on Route 59.
 
State Route 14 improvements
Project: Improvements to Route 14 including adding a southbound lane between Price Road and Lake Rockwell Road, while removing a northbound lane and replacing it with left-turn lanes at the Price Road and Lake Rockwell intersections. All work will occur in the city of Streetsboro; Ravenna and Shalersville townships.
Estimated start: May 2023
Estimated end: September 2023
Traffic impacts: A minimum of one lane of traffic will be maintained in each direction on Route 14 during peak travel times. A minimum of one lane of traffic will be maintained by flaggers on Route 14 during non-peak travel times.
 
New Milford Road and state Route 224 in Randolph Township will be reconfigured.
U.S. 224 intersection improvements in Randolph
Project: Improvements on U.S. 224 at the New Milford Road and Waterloo Road intersections in Randolph Township. Project includes reducing U.S. 224 to two lanes, realignment of the southern portion of Waterloo Road, creating a cul-de-sac on the northern portion of Waterloo Road, and widening the New Milford Road intersection.
Estimated start: April 2023
Estimated end: September 2023
Traffic impacts: Traffic will be shifted onto the U.S. 224 eastbound lanes for 60 days, then shifted onto the U.S. 224 westbound lanes for 30 days, along with various side street closures.
 

The towpath is closed due to the levee repairs along the Tuscarawas River in Massillon.  OTET's suggested trail detour including a link to a map is posted at: 
​https://www.ohiotoerietrail.org/2021/03/24/massillon-detour/ 
This 1.3 mile road route will get you to the Sippo Trail, which you can follow east, back to the towpath south. 

This was previously posted in the Portage County Roads Page on 8/13/2021
This round of repairs includes county roads in Brimfield, Atwater and Randolph townships:

• Mogadore Road, from Saxe Road to Old Forge Road
  
• Sunnybrook Road, from Old Forge Road to Saxe Road
  
• Industry Road, from Unger Road to Waterloo Road.

Residents with questions can contact the engineer’s office at 330-296-6411. 

The bridge across the West Branch of the Mahoning River, half a mile west of Garrett Rd is closed until repairs can be made in late 2022.  The lowest traffic cycling detour from Peck Road to the east is via McCormick and Garrett Rds.

The following roads will be resurfaced in 2021.  None of these appear to impact current trail connection routes posted on this site.

Alden Drive from Gloucester Road to North Delemonte Boulevard 
Fronek Road from Fairacres Avenue to South Delemonte Boulevard 
Gloucester Road from Greentree Parkway to the north end
Market Square Drive from Route 303 to Route 14 
Mids Court from the south end to the north end 
Mitchell Drive from Dorothy Drive to Mount Vernon Drive 
Murial Drive from Dorothy Drive to Mount Vernon Drive 
Opal Court from the west end to the east end 
Sidney Drive from Dorothy Drive to Mount Vernon Drive 
Sparrow Run from North Delemonte Boulevard to the east end 
Stratford Court from the south end to Gloucester Road 
Walsh Drive from Jennifer Lane to Danns Way 
Wiencek Road to Annalane Drive to Route 303 

Yesterday I had the pleasure of riding with a couple that decided to use this website as a way to navigate around Cleveland on mostly rural roads and trails.  Rachel and Patrick are from Boise, Idaho, and are traveling from Washington to Maine on their own version of the Northern Tier Route.  They are incorporating trails as much as possible.  They entered our area from the west using the Valley Parkway Trail, Towpath to Pennisula, Rt 303, and the Summit Hike and Bike trail.

Happy to demonstrate the route, I met up with Rachel and Patrick on the Portage Hike and Bike Trail early on August 16th, near the North Water Brewing Company.  A light rain began almost immediately and continued throughout the day.  We followed the trail to its terminus at Peck Road, and continued north on Peck for seven miles.  This road is also part of the Buckeye Trail.  It intersects with the Headwaters Trail less than a mile from downtown Mantua, a potential stopping point for cycle tourists and a Buckeye Trail Town.   We continued east to Garrettsville and used the newly paved connector from the trail end at the city ballfields to reach Rt 82.  Stopping for a snack at the nearby IGA, we then scooted around the back of the building and continued east on quiet country lanes including Silica/Pierce, Silica Sand, and Eagle Creek Roads.  The only hiccup was a detour necessitated by a missing bridge where Silica Sand Rd crosses Eagle Creek.  A construction worker confirmed there was “nothing there but swimming snakes and rocks.”  11/10/21 Update: The bridge was back in service by November as planned.

We took a slightly more southerly route to the Western Reserve Greenway alignment than the connection I promote on this site, as they planned to stay in downtown Warren near the county courthouse.  They will head up the WRG next, and plan to travel the Erie Canalway before continuing north, then east.

You can read more about their travels at: www.cycleblaze.com/journals/racpatnortherntier2021/

Some repaving is planned for the remainder of 2021 for the following roads:
Diagonal Rd from Route 303 to Mennonite Road
Ranfield Road, from Old Forge Road to Saxe Road
Lake Rockwell Road, from Brady Lake Road to Ravenna Road. 

Those interested in riding directly to Warren from Garrettsville, will need to rethink their route, at least until the end of October 2021.  If leaving the Headwaters Trail in Garrettsville via Silica/Pierce Rd and continuing east on Silica Sand Rd, you will find the bridge over Eagle Creek has been removed for replacement.  The road is blocked just beyond Haul Rd, which appears to be a private, packed gravel service road leading to Rt 82.  The gate may be open (it was on 8/16).  The official detour appears to be Parkman Rd. (from Pierce to 82).  Once on 82, continue east to Shanks-Downes Rd (N), Shanks-Phalanx Rd (E),  Braceville-Robinson Rd (N), and Eagle Creek Rd (E).  If heading towards the Courthouse District, turn left on N. Levitt Rd., ride thru the CVS parking lot at the intersection with 422, and ride on the sidewalk (if busy) until you cross the river.  Then left on Tod Ave.   Easy Peasy from there.

Starting from just south of Canfield, OH, I mapped out a possible route to Pittsburgh using quiet(er) rural roads.  Some of this route had been previously ridden by some long-distance cyclists based in the Pittsburgh area.   I assumed the prospective rider had already arrived at Washingtonville Rd, at the south end of the Mill Creek Metroparks Bikeway.   What follows is a report on the route after driving it.

Leg 1:  Washingtonville Rd to the Beaver River
This was almost entirely on farm roads except for a jog through the city of Columbiana.  They were generally pretty quiet, but as you might expect these roads were sometimes rough and there were a few long hills.  After leaving Washingtonville Rd via Garfield Rd and Green Beaver Rd, there was a long hill and rough pavement.  After that, is was mostly smooth (but lumpy) sailing  into Columbiana.  East of town we diverged onto Columbiana New Castle/Heck Rd.  We continued to zig zag due east including Dickerson, Burkey, and Moravia Roads.  There is substantial hill on Moravia.  Near the Beaver River we turned south on PA-18, which has ample shoulders.  We crossed the river in Wampum.

Leg 2:  Through the hills and valleys SE to Cranberry Township.
Initially we were on PA-288 which had good shoulders until we entered Elwood.  A couple of miles of busy "city" roads followed.  PA Bicycle Route A will be encountered in this area and should be avoided.  This leads to Rt 51 in Rochester and miles of high-speed, dangerous traffic.    After leaving Elwood, we turned left onto Country Club road and had a respite from traffic and hills for a few miles.  After this the climbs and rollers began as we approached PA-588 and continued to PA-989/ Glen Eden Rd which parallels the north side of I-76.

Leg 3:  Down the hill from Cranberry Township to the Ohio River Valley at Ambridge.
Expected to be a high point of the route due to the long downhills, this was probably the most dangerous section.  The plan was to use Brush Creek Rd and Big Sewickley Creek Rd to descend.  Unfortunately there were no shoulders on this curvy, high speed road ​and this segment is NOT recommended.   An alternate route using Camp Meeting Rd (includes a 1-mile 4% uphill) from Big Sewickley Creek Rd, then down via Fern Hollow and Little Sewickley Creek Roads would be safer.

Leg 4:  Ambridge to the GAP
If the long hill to Ambridge is taken, you will want to turn left on Main, then left on Beaver Street to stay north of Route 65, which is dangerous in this area.   Once in Sewickley, you can cross the bridge to a somewhat safer stretch of Route 51 (very unsafe north of here).  Detour onto Neville Island at Coraopolis and emerge back onto 51 at the SE end of the island.   If you want to begin the Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) at mile zero, Google Maps will direct you across the McKees Rocks Bridge, through a very big/busy intersection with 65 on the other side of the river, and up a hill into a neighborhood.  Turn right on California Ave.  Go left on Antrim, right on McClure, right on Ekert, right on Preble, and Left on Westhall to reach the Three Rivers Heritage Trail.  From there you can access a bridge to "The Point" in Pittsburgh.  The trail is relatively well-marked through Pittsburgh and It's outskirts to McKeesport.   Much of the area is developed with the trail following shopping areas, etc.