CHILLICOTHE - If at first you don't succeed, try again - and again, and again, and again.

That is the approach area leaders are taking when it comes to seeking funding for the Tri-State Metro Outer Belt project, commonly known as the Chesapeake Bypass.

The county commissioners and other area transportation and community development leaders attended the Ohio Department of Transportation's Transportation Review Advisory Council's meeting in Chillicothe Thursday to push for the completion of the project that has fallen into limbo by focusing on the economic impact it could have.

The local group made its pitch and only time will tell if it was successful.

As originally planned, the four-phased project would construct a four-lane highway spanning nine miles from State Route 7 where the four-lane currently dead ends to the other side of Proctorville.

Though the future phases and completion of the project remain in question, local leaders hope to change that.

"One of the main reasons for that road is the economic development factors. The outer belt connects the entire county," County Commissioner Jason Stephens said. "It would really benefit everyone. … If we are ever going to grow, we need to have better roads."

Chesapeake resident Jerry Henson knows all too well what the uncertainty of the project has meant to the community. Henson and his family own three acres on Township Road 1347 right in the bypass path.

"My life has been on hold. My wife's life has been on hold," Henson said of the inability to sell their home, fix it up or even enroll his 5-year-old in local schools. "I just wish we had an answer. … I wish they would just tell us 'yes' or 'no.' Let everyone move on with their lives."

Ralph Kline, assistant executive director with the Ironton-Lawrence County Community Action Organization's community development department, said that the meeting went well.

"We presented our project and brought the members up to date on the Tri-State's transportation system," Kline said. "We reviewed the rating scores and did a comparison of the various factors we think should be considered."

The group pushed to have the TRAC review the rating system used to determine priority. The TRAC had the project ranked 40 with a score of 11. The local leaders believe it should be in the top 10 with a score of 50, Kline said.

One sticking point is the designation as a macro-corridor highway that would give the project a higher priority because it would be used for regional/statewide transportation rather than just local, Kline said. The project was once designated this way.

Another focus was the economic development impact that the project could have on all of southern Ohio.

"We really tried to present the potential for investment and job creation in those areas," Kline said.

The TRAC will go back to ODOT leaders, study the information provided and then decide on future funding based on how the project stacks up with other projects across the state.

In May, the TRAC announced that money for Phase 2 was not included in the 2005-2010 budget

but could be added in 2005 during revisions.

Phase 1A, which included the construction of State Route 607 to connect the 31st Street Bridge in Proctorville to State Route 775, was completed in May 2003. Still ongoing, Phase 1B includes the construction of a 4.5-mile route from State Route 607 and Irene Road East to State Route 7.

Phase 2 of the project would construct two lanes from State Route 7 to State Route 527. Phase 3 would construct two more lanes and complete the interchanges. Construction and land acquisition for Phases 2 and 3 are projected to cost more than $100 million.