Commissioners OK permit for fiber-optic project

Tuscarawas County commissioners have approved a second road and bridge use permit with Horizon Telecom of Chillicothe, which is working to bring broadband service to Ohio’s Appalachia region.

The latest permit, approved Thursday, allows Horizon to lay 2,300 feet of fiber-optic lines in a 4-inch conduit along County Road 139 (Old State Route 39), east from County Road 78 (Broad Run Dairy Road) in Sugar Creek Township.

Commissioners approved a road permit last week to lay fiber-optic lines along Stocker Ridge Road southeast of Newcomerstown.

The work of laying fiber in Tuscarawas and surrounding counties began in late April. The project, known as Connecting Appalachia, will provide high-capacity broadband services with speeds of up to 10 gigabits per second.

Crews are installing the new fiber that will connect businesses, governmental, educational and health care facilities to the new network.

The backbone of Horizon’s project is anticipated to be completed this year.

In other business, the board awarded a contract to Stocker Trucking Co. of Gnadenhutten for a 2013 Freightliner Business Class M2-112V tandem axle cab and chassis unit for the county engineer’s office. Stocker submitted the lowest bid of $95,806.

June 3, 2012

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