Signs posted at the entrance of Belmont County Road 4, Colerain Pike, off of U.S. 250 in Colerain Township alert residents to the impending closure of the roadway. Beginning Feb. 16, the road will be closed in both directions for around four weeks for a bridge repair project.

MARTINS FERRY — A bridge replacement project on Belmont County Road 4, Colerain Pike, will close the roadway for approximately four weeks beginning Feb. 16.

Warning signs are posted at both entrances to the roadway to alert motorists to the impending closure.

Belmont County Engineer Terry Lively said the original start date for the project was set for Monday. However, due to inclement weather forecasted for next week, the date was pushed to the following week.

“We moved it back a week because of the frigid temperatures that are forecasted for next week. We’ll begin the day after President’s Day,” he said.

The project is estimated to cost $55,372 and includes the replacement of the bridge located 0.30 miles west of the Ohio 647, Mt. Pleasant Pike, intersection. Lively said the bridge is being replaced because of its age and deteriorating condition.

“It’s posted at an 18-ton limit. We try to get our posted bridges replaced whenever we can,” he said.

The bridge will be replaced with a box culvert, Lively said. Replacing the bridge with the box culvert will allow crews to reopen the roadway to traffic much sooner than if they were to replace it with another bridge, he said.

“It’s very quick to install over a traditional bridge. Once we remove the old bridge, we will be able to drop this box culvert inside the existing abutments and have the road open much sooner that it would have taken for a traditional bridge,” he said.

The roadway will be closed in both directions until the project is completed. Lively said the total closure is unavoidable with the type of construction being performed.

Lively said the closure is estimated to take up to four weeks, but he is hoping to have the work completed sooner.