COLUMBUS -After four decades of sparring over the completion of the Chesapeake Bypass, Lawrence County officials took the gloves off Friday.

Then, state officials took a few jabs themselves.

"There was a time 10 years ago when I thought the Chesapeake Bypass was not going to happen," said Bob Dalton, chairman of the Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce's Transportation Committee. "It was difficult to talk about because we had this sense of futility."

Frustrations over the long-promised highway project were driven home Thursday morning during the transportation meeting held as part of the Greater Lawrence County Area Chamber of Commerce's 10th Annual Legislative Day.

Delays in construction and massive funding overruns combined with the current statewide budget crisis have local economic development officials concerned in what most agreed was a direct, pointed, but effective session.

"We're worried," Dalton said. "We're worried about the future of the Chesapeake Bypass."

Ralph Kline, co-chair of the meeting, told Ohio Department of Transportation leaders that continuing to stall on the project may make matters worse.

"In the 1980s we got stalled. Environmental laws changed," Kline said. "Subdivisions are now in the way.

The further out you delay, the more things can happen."

The state opted to split the project into several phases. Phase 1A has been finished for about one month. Bids for Phase 1B, a 4-mile segment from State Route 775 to State Route 7, are expected to be opened next month. The cost of that phase is expected to be $27 million.

Funding for Phase 2, 4-mile stretch from Chesapeake to State Route 607 at the foot of the East Huntington Bridge, are up in the air, said ODOT Director Gordon Proctor.

"The problem is: the cost of the first job soared so badly that we don't have the funds for the second phase acquisition," he said.

Phase 2 is now estimated to cost $76.5 million.

The delays have put property owners such as Buddy Martin in a bind since residents believe the property will be purchased soon, but do not know when.

"You end up in a situation where you can't rent the property, you can't sell the property," Martin said. "You're kind of in a limbo state and have nowhere to go."

Martin challenged ODOT officials to "cowboy up" and commit to funding and completing the bypass.

"We put together the most far-reaching, long term finance plan for Southeast Ohio," said Gordon Proctor, ODOT director, defending the state's position.

"We agreed to spend $32 million," Proctor said. "The project went to $40 million; we cowboyed up. The project went to $45 million; we cowboyed up. The project went to $50 million; we cowboyed up. The project went to $55 million; we cowboyed up. The project went to $60 million; we cowboyed up. It went to $62 million, and what did we do? We cowboyed up.

"We've cowboyed up so much we're about to fall off the darned horse."

Proctor said ODOT has more than kept its promise to Lawrence County and blamed the cost overruns on county's lack of zoning which allowed development along the project's route.

"I think we also assumed in good faith that the first project could be done for $32 million," Proctor said. "When the cost doubled, we didn't flinch. We didn't hesitate; we didn't say 'the deal is off.'"

Most of the cost overruns are due to extreme differences in the amount budgeted for property acquisition and the amount needed.

"We didn't create the right-of-way problems down there," Proctor said. "There's been no zoning, no planning. What should have cost a few million, cost $19 million."

County leaders disagreed, putting the blame back at ODOT's feet, saying the real problem is that ODOT underestimated the cost required to purchase the needed property.

Doug Cade, a member of the county's planning commission, told Proctor the commission has only approved two subdivisions in the area since the project's alignment was secured. Neither was in the path of the highway, he said.

County Commissioner Jason Stephens told Proctor that not completing the bypass soon would continue to hamper the economic growth of Chesapeake.

Stephen presented information illustrating the explosive growth in Proctorville and the lack of growth in Chesapeake.

"As you look at the numbers you can see the differences in these communities," he said. "It's amazing. These businesses went in because they knew what they could count on (in Proctorville)."

Dale Manns, owner of Superior Marine, agreed with Stephens' point and pointed to the loss of a potential development prospect.

"When they saw the congestion on the 31st Street bridge, it killed us," he said. "Over the years as the politics changed, the frustrating thing for me as a resident has been the promises.

"I know we're a small part of the state from a tax base, but we can't grow without more help from the state," Manns said.

After the meeting, chamber officials said they felt good about the progress made at the meeting.

"I think it's going to happen," said Pat Clonch, executive director of the chamber.

The next step will be in late summer when ODOT's Transportation Review Advisory Council meets to consider funding for projects.