WARREN — Trumbull County commissioners discussed closing part of County Highway 69 on Tuesday to support Kimberly-Clark’s expansion and ease traffic issues. The road, commonly known as Pine Avenue, goes through Howland.

Commissioner Rick Hernandez said the Trumbull County Engineer’s Office will help as several meetings are planned before any final call on the partial closure. Commissioners are looking to set dates for a public viewing and hearing. The viewing of the stretch of road is set for Jan. 14, ahead of a regular meeting.

The commissioners will look at the resolution today at their regular meeting.

The plan involves vacating about 5,580 feet of the highway located in Howland.

Nicholas Coggins from the Trumbull County Planning Commission gave an overview at the workshop meeting. He said the move fits with Kimberly-Clark’s building and growth in the area, where the company owns land on both sides of the road.

This ties into a $17.2 million award from the All-Ohio Future Fund to the Western Reserve Port Authority. The money, split as a grant and loan, will build a new direct access road linking County Highway 69 to state Route 45. This would skip busy downtown areas in Warren and Niles, making travel easier.

Coggins said the current section of the road often closes because of flooding, so the new path would be more reliable. He added that closing the old stretch could boost public welfare by drawing more investment from Kimberly-Clark and helping other existing businesses along Pine Avenue. The vacated land might be sold to supply companies or others, igniting job and development growth.

People can inspect the road and check impacts on access, safety and links to other areas. Safety worries, like flooding, plus environmental effects and sign changes, will be reviewed, according to Coggins.

After that, the plan will be advertised in newspapers. The engineer will do a traffic study based on the new access road. A public hearing will let residents speak for or against it, with the engineer’s report shared.

Coggins noted the commissioners will decide on the closure after hearing from businesses, communities and the Port Authority. They must weigh the traffic analysis, reports, company views and public input. No quick vote is required.

The county has contacted nearby places like Howland Warren, Weathersfield and Niles. Local companies using Pine Avenue should not face harm from the change.