Commissioners Tuesday approved entering into a contract with the village of Bellville and private contractors to conduct a study to determine the cost for widening a section of Ohio 97 west of Interstate 71 pass the Dutch Heritage Restaurant.

Commissioner Ed Olson said the reason for the widening is to provide a center turn lane to turn north into the existing commercial development or turn south into a proposed new retail development site. Olson said the county will pay $14,000 for its portion of the study and Bellville wil pay $6,000. K.E. McCartney and Associates will conduct the study.