BAZETTA — People coming to the Trumbull County Fair this week will find improvements to the parking and walkway areas, which in past years were a concern when there was heavy rainfall, puddles and mud.

Trumbull County Engineer Randy Smith said the engineer’s office was able to use 5,000 tons of recycled asphalt grindings that were milled off area highways and create new paved roads throughout the former grassy parking lot areas at the fairgrounds.

All of the gravel strips in the three main parking lots were paved with recycled asphalt.

He said other parking lots and drives at the fairgrounds also have been paved with the grindings, including the camping area and main driveways for emergency vehicles.

“The work done will make access to the parking areas more favorable,” he said.

He said in past years, when there was heavy rainfall, areas became muddy and vehicles often got stuck — but the paved areas will help rectify that.

Smith said with the help of state Sen. Sandra O’Brien, R-Lenox, the recycled asphalt grindings program was able to be put in place in Ashtabula, Geauga and Trumbull counties, which she represents. He said O’Brien was able to work with Ohio Department of Transportation to secure the grindings.

PILOT PROGRAM

The grindings came from recent ODOT projects in Trumbull and Portage counties, part of a pilot grindings program now in its second year.

Smith said township trustees and other officials have wanted to be able to reuse the grindings for tar and chipping and paving of roads in their communities.

O’Brien said the grindings program not only benefits township and county roads, but also will help with fairground improvements this year. She said ODOT provided the material for free and the county processed it down as recycled asphalt. She noted the only expenses were for the labor and trucking of the material.

The improvements with the grindings should last five to eight years, officials said.

O’Brien said the fairgrounds had more than 5,000 tons of asphalt grindings used this past week.

The grindings cover what used to be worn-down gravel.

“It is absolutely awesome and amazing, what has been able to be done. It is being well received,” she said.

Fair officials also are excited about the improvements.

Kierstin Holmes. a member of the Trumbull County Fair Board, said the parking areas will be less dust, or less muddy if it rains.

The improvements, she said, will help people get around the fairgrounds easier.

The material also was used for the 4-H barn and parking lots, other barns and a camping area. The poultry barn also got some of the recycled grindings to help make cages more level for when the birds are on display.

HELPS TOWNSHIPS

“The majority of the parking lots here at the fair have been upgraded with several inches, probably in excess of 5,000 tons of material,” Smith said.

He said the engineer’s office also will have grinding materials available to help local townships with paving and ta

He said several township parking lots and facilities have been improved with the grindings, and lower roads have been able to be raised with the material.

Smith said many of the paving operations at the county require recycled asphalt material.

The byproduct of processing the material is the finer material that was used at the fairgrounds, he said.