ST. CLAIRSVILLE — Residents in the Provident area may experience minor delays for the next six weeks.

Belmont County Engineer Terry Lively said that work has begun on Kagg Hill Bridge to replace a culvert. He added that, although the project is slated to be complete by August 6, he is hopeful that it will be completed before then.

Lively said that it will depend on the weather conditions and added that the area has had abnormally “lousy” weather this summer.

​​”There is an existing culvert that comes off of the hill there and it’s an older box culvert that is in bad shape. We’re going to remove the upper portion of it,” Lively said. “We’re going to reuse the foundations, and we’re going to make a bridge out of it. Actually, it’s going to be a steel beam with a wood deck bridge, so it’ll be a good structure once we get done with it. It should last a long time.”

He added that the detour will be for residents to take Route 9 towards Maynard Road to then take Kagg Hill Road and signs will be posted for residents unfamiliar with the detour.

“It’s not a long detour, but there’s just no way to do the work and maintain traffic around the site, so we have to close the road for six weeks,” Lively said.

The nearly $80,000 project is being completed by the Belmont County Road and Bridge Crew.

“Be mindful of our workers, and take your time and keep your eyes open when you’re going around construction zones. Make sure there’s nothing unexpected. We don’t want anybody to get hurt,” he said.

Lively added that his office has been looking into doing the project for the better part of a year and is glad to be able to start working on it.

“We talked about some different alternatives, and then decided that reusing the existing abutments, or part of the existing abutments and then building up from them and putting a new superstructure and deck on it would be the best solution. So that’s what we’re doing,” Lively said.