CADIZ — Harrison County is now a Transportation Improvement District, a status that will help provide funding opportunities for various roadway improvement projects throughout the county.

During Wednesday’s meeting, the Harrison County Board of Commissioners signed a resolution recommended by the engineer’s office to create the district in the county and appoint a board of trustees. Commissioner Paul Coffland said the program is new to the county and will contribute to improving its infrastructure.

“The Ohio General Assembly determined, and the Harrison County Board of Commissioners concur, that transportation is an essential and indispensable part of the commerce and industry of the state and is of vital importance to the creation and preservation of jobs and employment opportunities and to the improvement of the economic welfare of the people of the state, including Harrison County and its environs,” Coffland read from the resolution.

Commissioner Dale Norris said this will create opportunities for economic development by encouraging new businesses to come into the county.

The following day, Harrison County Engineer Doug Bachman said the county becoming a TID will open up potential funding opportunities through the Ohio Department of Transportation.

The county must first complete the registration process through ODOT and then they will be able to apply for project funding.

ODOT offers up to $250,000 per project for counties registered as a TID, he said.

“ODOT has a pool of money they set aside for Transportation Improvement Districts where a project can get funded up to $250,000,” Bachman said.

The deadline for registration is later this month, he said.

Although the county has not filed for funding for any particular projects yet, Bachman said one project that is on the county’s “radar” for improvement is the intersection of Ohio 151 and U.S. 250 in Cadiz.