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| Ohio State Route 39 | |
|---|---|
| State | OH |
| Type | SR |
| Route | 39 |
| Length mi | 155.00 |
| Established | 1924 |
| Direction a | West |
| Terminus a | U.S. Route 20 |
| Direction b | East |
| Terminus b | Pennsylvania border near East Liverpool |
| Counties | Lorain County, Medina County, Stark County, Carroll County, Jefferson County |
Ohio State Route 39
Ohio State Route 39 is an east–west state highway traversing northern and eastern Ohio between Elyria and the Pennsylvania line near East Liverpool. The route connects a sequence of municipalities, townships, and regional corridors, serving as a link among Lorain County, Medina County, Stark County, Carroll County, and Jefferson County. It connects with multiple national and state arteries, providing access to industrial centers, historical communities, and interstate corridors such as Interstate 71, Interstate 77, and U.S. Route 30.
SR 39 begins in the vicinity of Elyria Municipal Airport near U.S. Route 20 and proceeds eastward through suburban and exurban landscapes into Medina, intersecting corridors that lead to Cleveland Clinic affiliates, regional parks, and transportation nodes. Moving toward Stark County, the route runs near Massillon and through Canton environs, where it meets freight and passenger rail rights-of-way used by Norfolk Southern Railway and Amtrak corridor services. East of Alliance and across the Tuscarawas River valley, SR 39 serves manufacturing towns with historical ties to the Mahoning Valley and coal-mining communities that link to Youngstown labor markets. Approaching East Liverpool, the highway parallels parts of the Ohio River corridor and connects with routes leading to the Beaver Valley and Pittsburgh metropolitan region. Along its length SR 39 intersects with federal routes including U.S. Route 42, U.S. Route 62, and U.S. Route 30 and with state routes such as Ohio State Route 8, Ohio State Route 7, and Ohio State Route 14.
First designated in the 1920s, SR 39 was part of Ohio’s early statewide numbering efforts contemporaneous with expansions of the Lincoln Highway and the development of the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1921 era networks. Route alignments shifted in the mid-20th century in response to industrial growth associated with the steel industry and the rise of automobile traffic during the Post–World War II economic expansion; adjustments reflected bypass construction near growing centers such as Medina and Canton and reconfigurations around rail facilities owned by CSX Transportation and Conrail predecessors. During the 1950s–1970s, segments were realigned or upgraded to connect with new limited-access corridors like I-77 and I-71, mirroring national trends from the Interstate Highway System era. Later rehabilitation projects addressed pavement preservation and flood mitigation prompted by events similar to the Great Flood of 1913 in regional memory and subsequent state emergency responses coordinated with the Ohio Department of Transportation.
Major intersections include junctions with national routes such as U.S. 20, U.S. 30, U.S. 42, and U.S. 62; interchanges or crossings with interstates including I-71 and I-77; and connections with principal state routes like Ohio State Route 8, Ohio State Route 7, Ohio State Route 14, and Ohio State Route 21. Local nodes of importance occur at Medina (junctions leading to Akron and Cleveland), Canton (links to Pro Football Hall of Fame attractions), Alliance (access to rail-served industry), and East Liverpool (proximity to Ohio River crossings toward Steubenville and Beaver County).
Traffic volumes on SR 39 vary from low-density rural counts in Carroll County to higher urbanized flows near Medina and Stark County employment centers. Safety considerations reflect interactions with heavy truck movements tied to regional freight corridors serving Steel Valley and distribution centers that feed markets in Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and Columbus. Crash mitigation efforts have referenced engineering countermeasures promoted by organizations such as the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials and applied treatments from the Highway Safety Manual including improved signage, rumble strips, and intersection reconfiguration near school districts, municipal centers, and known high-collision locations cataloged by the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
Planned improvements have been proposed in coordination with the Ohio Department of Transportation and regional planning agencies such as the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency and local metropolitan planning organizations. Proposals focus on resurfacing, shoulder widening, safety enhancements near freight nodes, and drainage upgrades influenced by National Flood Insurance Program risk assessments. Funding mechanisms under consideration have included state transportation budgets, federal roadway safety grants authorized under highway statutes, and potential public-private partnerships similar to other corridor projects in Ohio. Environmental reviews reference studies under frameworks like the National Environmental Policy Act for stretches affecting riparian corridors of the Tuscarawas River and tributaries feeding the Ohio River watershed.
Related alignments and connectors include intersections and short multiplexes with state routes such as Ohio State Route 93, Ohio State Route 164, Ohio State Route 171, and Ohio State Route 173, and service roads that provide access to industrial parks and rail terminals owned by Norfolk Southern Railway and CSX Transportation. Historical spurs and former alignments were influenced by rail relocations tied to Pennsylvania Railroad predecessors and by municipal bypass schemes in Medina, Canton, and East Liverpool.