Bridge Street Project Shifts Into Next Gear

Article Presented By Litter Quality Propane…

CHILLICOTHE — The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) is entering the second year of a multi-year safety project along the State Route 159/North Bridge Street corridor. Work this year will have major impacts to traffic.

Building on progress made in the first year, the project continues to focus on transforming Bridge Street to improve safety and reduce congestion for both motorists and pedestrians.

Progress to date
Crews have made significant progress since construction began last Spring. Accomplishments include:

• Relocation of all utilities
• Completed painting of Scioto River bridge rail
• Shared use path across the bridge completed and connected to the flood wall trail
• New and improved sidewalk on the Scioto River bridge
• Majority of east side sidewalk is complete
• New and improved LED lights on the Scioto River bridge
• Roundabout on Stewart Road is open to traffic, although the final traffic pattern is not in place
• The connector between North Plaza Boulevard and Marietta Road is open to traffic
• Bridge Street traffic pattern includes 3 northbound lanes and 3 southbound lanes with all intersection turn lanes open

“Construction crews made major improvements in the first year of this transformative project, but there’s a lot more work to be done,” said ODOT District 9 Deputy Director Mike Dombrowski. “We appreciate everyone’s patience thus far, and we’re asking for continued patience as we enter this next, more impactful, phase of the project.”

Coming this year
Work on the next phase of the project is expected to begin in mid-March. This year, crews will complete:

• From North Plaza Boulevard/U.S. 35 WB Ramp to Chillicothe Mall
• Widening the pavement on the southbound side of SR 159
• Install sidewalks, curb ramps, and lighting
• Install new traffic signal poles at all intersections
• Install pocket parks
• Finish the sidewalk from Pawnee Road to the Chillicothe Mall on the northbound side of SR 159
• Stain and seal the retaining walls located at both Kroger Fuel and McDonald’s
• Install black railings on retaining walls
• Stewart Road to North Plaza Blvd
• Adding a third northbound lane between Stewart Road and the U.S. 35 W off-ramp
• Remove 13 inches of existing pavement and replace it with full-depth concrete pavement on SR 159 and portions of the U.S. 35 ramps
• Build shared use path from Stewart Road to the U.S. 35 W ramp on the northbound side
• Build sidewalks/curb ramps on the southbound side from Stewart Road to North Plaza Blvd
• Build a retaining wall on the northbound side below the U.S. 35 overpass
• New signals/poles at intersections from Stewart Road to North Plaza Blvd/U.S. 35 W ramp
• Install sidewalk and lighting along North Plaza Blvd

Maintaining Traffic
During this construction season, 2-3 northbound lanes will remain open through the U.S. 35 interchange. However, all southbound lanes from North Plaza Blvd to Stewart Road will be closed. To remove 13 inches of concrete pavement in the interchange area and replace it with new concrete, we must close one side of the roadway at a time. All southbound traffic will be diverted onto the ramp to westbound U.S. 35.

Additionally, the SR 104/High Street on-ramp to eastbound U.S. 35 will be closed. This is because the eastbound U.S. 35 exit ramp to Bridge Street will be restricted during construction. Our traffic modeling indicates that this could cause congestion to backup onto U.S. 35. The short distance between the Bridge Street and SR 104 ramps increases the risk of crashes. To help prevent this, through traffic on eastbound U.S. 35 should stay in the left lane when traveling through the High Street and Bridge Street interchanges.

North Plaza Blvd will also be closed, and traffic will need to use the new Marietta Road connector. The southbound lanes, SR 104/High Street on-ramp to eastbound U.S. 35, and North Plaza Blvd are expected to remain closed for approximately 8–9 months.

“We appreciate that businesses and their customers have endured a lot of inconvenience over the past year, but we know that the inconvenience will soon lead to much safer travel and easier access to these businesses for everyone who depends on this vital commercial corridor,” Dombrowski added.

Holiday Wrap-Up Schedule
Just like last year, we plan to halt construction ahead of the busy holiday season, just before Thanksgiving. There will be additional work items that will need to be completed in 2027. However, that work is not expected to have nearly the traffic impacts. In fact, once the pavement is complete in the interchange area, all lanes of traffic in both directions will be restored.

While construction is taking place, drivers are reminded to stay alert and reduce their speed to ensure the safety of workers and others on the road. You can also stay up to date on the project by visiting the ODOT project page.

Questions? Let us Know
If you have any comments, concerns, or questions, please contact District Public Information Officer Mikaela Bruning at 740-774-8834 or D09.PIO@dot.ohio.gov.