Clyde Travel Center could open by September

CLYDE - Progress is being made toward the opening of the HD Travel Center, according to state and local officials and its owner.

"We're thinking Sept. 1 or Sept. 2," said the facility's owner, Paul Singh.

Singh, who owns around 40 such businesses throughout Ohio, said the travel center's opening has been delayed due to COVID-19 staffing issues, drainage remediation and, particularly, permission from the Ohio Department of Transportation to open an access point onto U.S. 20 (McPherson Highway).

The owner said he was informed by ODOT that the approval would take no more than six weeks, but that nine weeks have already elapsed. 

"It's been like forever," said Bill Brown, director of Clydescope, the Clyde area's economic development organization. He added, however, "There has been some progress." 

The facility, which is to include a Hardee's Restaurant, a truck wash, electric car chargers and coffee, drink and other food vendors, has been in the planning stages since before 2018, Brown said. The building, which began being constructed in 2021, was done quickly and is essentially ready for occupation and start-up of operations. The building already has equipment ready for the food service venues to open, he said.

"They're ready, pretty much, to start," Brown said. 

The Clydescope director said the business is expected to generate several new jobs and bring a good deal of income to the Clyde area. 

"Being right off Route 20, we've got a lot of truck traffic," Brown said.

"I certainly would like to see that get opened," he added, "and I think it's going to be really great for the community, I really do."

"He doesn't have to wait on us," Ben Corbis, planning administrator for ODOT District 2, said about Singh. "He can get bids and get things ready to roll."

Corbis explained that the construction can get started in advance of the state's final approval of the drainage and ingress/egress plans. 

"I've talked to Paul several times, so I know he's eager," Corbis said. 

Corbis said he hopes the remaining parts of the project can be started by the end of the week, so that they may be completed by the middle of October, when road projects normally stop due to cold weather. He added that a similar project, in North Baltimore, was permitted to proceed with construction of an ingress/egress that was substandard, wintered over and rebuilt to standard in the spring. That type of installation passes additional cost to the developer and stretches out the project's timeline. 

Singh said he intends to open the travel center using back roads in the meantime, no matter the status of the U.S. 20 ingress/egress. The center has an access road on the east side off of County Road 236.

Corbis reiterated his desire to see the final phase of construction begin soon. 

"That is my hope," he said. 

Mmagnuson@gannett.com

419-334-1035