T-L Photo/GAGE VOTA Union Local Rotary Club members and Ohio Department of Transportation Belmont County administrator Dave Shafer, ODOT project engineer Isaac Goodson, and Shelly and Sands Co. area manager Sam Haverty celebrate the announcement of the exit 208 intersection construction project.

MORRISTOWN — Members of Ohio Department of Transportation and Shelly and Sands Co. attended the Union Local Rotary Club’s Wednesday afternoon meeting to announce its exit 208 intersection construction project, soon to begin on Interstate 70 and Ohio 149.

ODOT project engineer Isaac Goodson said that the first two years of the extensive project will see ODOT widening the I-70 overpass as well as adding additional lanes on Ohio 149, which goes under the overpass.

He added that ODOT will also be adding a new storm sewer system, traffic light, sidewalks, curbs, along Ohio 149.

The sidewalk will cross the state road by Schlepps Family Restaurant and will have a crosswalk where the traffic light currently is. Union Local Rotary Club secretary and incoming president Michael P. McCormick said that he is delighted with the inclusion of a sidewalk.

He said that Union Local students regularly cross Ohio 149 after school to go to McDonald’s, which could be dangerous.

“The Union Local Rotary Club is excited that ODOT chose us to be the location of their announcement of their upgrade to the 208 exchange area,” McCormick said. “It’s going to be a long term project, and by getting input from us, they’re hearing from the community as to our thoughts and needs for the project.”

He especially commended ODOT for building a sidewalk to allow the Union Local students to safely be able to visit the businesses along Ohio 149.

“Having these crosswalks will benefit the safety of travelers, students and parents who frequently support the businesses on Belmont, Morristown Road,” McCormick said.

Goodson said the project’s expected completion date is June 30, 2029, is currently in the preliminary stages and will soon be starting.

“We’ll be maintaining traffic for all of it; there’ll be contraflow on the interstate,” Shelly and Sands Co. area manager Sam Haverty said. A contraflow lane is a lane in which traffic flows in the opposite direction of the surrounding lanes.

He added that he is going to maintain two lanes of traffic in both directions along I-70 throughout the duration of the project.

“There will be intermittent lane closures to allow us to perform the work and for the safety of the workers,” Haverty said.

The Love’s and Pilot Travel Centers currently have two separate truck entrances that are at different parts of the road, so this project will see Pilot’s entrance be shifted to the same intersection as Love’s to alleviate congestion.

Dave Shafer, Belmont County’s transportation administrator for ODOT, said the project will cost approximately $27 million. He added that, although the project is extensive, most of the construction work will be done at night.

“I don’t see it being a ton worse than it is today,” Haverty added. “My kids go to school here and I’m confident that traffic has tripled in this intersection with these truck stops.”