ST. CLAIRSVILLE — Interstate 470 was closed to eastbound traffic for several hours Monday after a tractor-trailer overturned on a stretch of roadway where accidents have been frequent in recent months.

The incident occurred while a commercial truck was traveling east on I-470 just east of the intersection where the bypass separates from Interstate 70. It was the only vehicle involved in the crash.

Ohio State Highway Patrol Dispatcher Nicole Wheeler said she was not aware of any fatalities or injuries that resulted from the incident.

“They are still investigating what happened,” Wheeler said. “They are still working on the crash report so we won’t know yet.”

I-470 eastbound was shut down for several hours to allow workers to clean up the scene and investigate the incident.

The Ohio Department of Transportation recently placed flashing caution signs in the approach to that stretch of road that read “Slippery When Wet” and “Caution Slow Down” in hopes of preventing accidents until it can address potential issues with the road’s surface. In November 2023, ODOT completed a paving project on the stretch in question, and this specific stretch of road has been the topic of much debate in the months since that work was completed.

As recently as earlier on Monday, another apparently minor wreck occurred in the same area.

ODOT recently conducted a skid-resistant test on the stretch of highway. The results of the test led to ODOT starting a two-day micro-surfacing project on a mile-long section of both the east and westbound lanes of I-470 to improve the surface friction on the road.

“Once this project is completed, we will continue to monitor the roadway to ensure its effectiveness,” ODOT’s District 11 Public Information Officer Lauren Borell said.

She added that ODOT recently did a deep dive into the crash data for that area in an effort to determine underlying causes of the crashes. Borell said the data showed that most prominent cause of the wrecks on that stretch of road were determined to be speed-related issues involving commercial vehicles.

“ODOT took a deep look into what was going on to see what the underlying issue was with the increased crashes in this area to ensure safety in this corridor,” Borell said.

The section of highway in question also lies within a special enforcement corridor designated on I-470 and I-70. Signs state that troopers on patrol will have zero tolerance for speeding and distracted driving.

This specific stretch of I-470 also has sparked much debate among Belmont County residents and those in the surrounding area. Multiple people took to Facebook to voice their frustration with this section of roadway.

“That spot on the road needs fixed. It’s slippery even if you are traveling at a safe speed for the rain,” Mike Oxhard posted in the St. Clairsville Facebook group.

Dawn Hutchinson Goddard also commented: “Rain brings up all the fuel and oils from previous wrecks and causes more.”

Regardless of the underlying issues and timeline for addressing them, Borell indicated that area residents and ODOT both are aware that there is an issue that needs to be addressed and said ODOT is planning to get to the bottom of it.