By: Brenna White
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
publisher@thevillagereporter.com
Concerns surrounding road deterioration at the intersection of County Road 23.50 and State Route 34 near Stryker, Ohio have recently drawn attention after a local resident requested additional county review of the issue.
According to information submitted to the newspaper, Stryker resident James D. Barnes stated he has reported recurring pothole and roadway deterioration at the intersection since spring 2025. Barnes said some areas had been patched while other sections remained damaged, adding that erosion near the storm basin had become an increasing concern.
Barnes attributed the wear in part to heavy truck traffic connected to a nearby hog operation, claiming semitrailers frequently swing wide through the corner while traveling through the area. He additionally proposed replacing the asphalt corner with concrete and submitted a material estimate totaling approximately $9,900 for the project.
“I am requesting that you appropriate monies for this project so that it may have a more permanent solution. Patching which does have a cost is nothing more than a waste of monies as it has to be addressed several times a year,” Barnes’ letter to the County Commissioners reads.
He also provided a six-point solution on how to best address the issue, stating that he is “a firm believer that if you are going to complain about a problem then you should be prepared to have a viable solution to the problem.”
The matter was reportedly shared with the Williams County Commissioners and the County Engineer Office as part of Barnes’ ongoing concerns regarding roadway maintenance.
Williams County Engineer Todd Roth provided clarification regarding the ongoing maintenance of the intersection. According to Roth, county crews initially began repair work in the week of April 30, 2026. During construction, crew members determined portions of the damaged area were located within the state right-of-way owned by the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT).
“They (the crews) started repairing that intersection, and then they realized they were in a state right-of-way,” Roth stated.
Roth said that the county crews completed repairs on county-owned property before stopping work on the state-owned section and notifying ODOT of the remaining damage. “It’s ODOT’s problem to fix – because it’s right at the intersection,” Roth explained.
According to the County Engineer, additional durapatching work is expected once weather conditions allow. He described the repairs as a temporary fix until a pavement project in the summer can be completed.
ODOT road crews were later spotted performing maintenance work on May 14, 2026.