MOTORISTS TRAVEL Friday along a section of Zane Highway expected to be repaved this week following a major waterline project there.

MARTINS FERRY — Zane Highway motorists likely will be relieved to learn a section of the road damaged by a past project is expected to be permanently repaved in the coming days.

During a recent Martins Ferry City Council meeting, Mayor John Davies said he spoke with the contractor on the job, James White Construction, who said they were waiting for the asphalt plants to start making hot mix again.

Davies said he informed the company that hot mix was now being made.

“He said they have a crew ready for next week. Hopefully that’s done by next week,” Davies said of the week of April 26.

The damage, located on a stretch of Zane near the Aetna Street intersection, was caused by a major waterline replacement project needed to provide safe drinking water for the village of Bridgeport.

Since the work extended into the colder months, there was no time left to repair the road completely. Because there was no hot mix being made it could not be repaved. Instead the contractor had to periodically regrade the limestone in the damaged section because large potholes kept forming.

The city had to pay about $206,000 to replace a 12-inch waterline as part of the project to provide water to Bridgeport.

When the city opened up its line to energize a waterline to a new pump house to give Bridgeport water, the line apparently was damaged in the process. Bridgeport needed a new water source after it was discovered via testing that some of its wells were contaminated.

During a recent City Council meeting, Service Director Andy Sutak noted the city was beginning to see reimbursements from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency for the line work cost.

“All the paperwork is done. We can start getting our money back from the project,” he said. “That’s kind of a good thing.”