As spring approaches, so does the season of orange barrels.

The Ohio Department of Transportation announced Monday that work will begin soon on a bridge replacement project in St. Clairsville. Work is also slated to get underway this spring on a bridge that will cross Interstate 70 to complete the Mall Connector Road. Traffic just west of the Ohio Valley Mall eventually will be impacted by both projects.

The bridge on Clark Road, or Belmont County Road 4, spans I-70 east of exit 213 in St. Clairsville. Starting March 6, the structure will undergo a replacement project. ODOT already is setting poles for temporary traffic signals for that project. That new bridge should be complete in October.

During the work, the bridge will be reduced to one lane with temporary traffic signals. ODOT said lanes on 1-70 will shift during the work, but it should not impact traffic in other ways.

The Mall Road Connector project will take much longer to finish. It is not slated for completion until fall 2018.

In addition to those planned projects, ODOT recently installed a new traffic signal at the intersection of the on- and off-ramps for eastbound I-70 and Ohio 149. People passing through that area need to be aware of the new signal and use extra caution there until they become accustomed to the change.

Certainly other road work will occur during this time. Motorists can expect to see crews patching roadways, mowing along the sides of highways, installing and maintaining lights and traffic signals and much more. It is all work that must be completed during the warmer months, since some tools and materials are not effective once temperatures fall beneath a certain level.

As construction barriers and temporary traffic signals crop up, motorists should remember to exercise additional caution in those areas. Drivers, in general, should slow down on area highways, according to various local law enforcement agencies. They should reduce their speed even more in work zones. Motorists also should be on the lookout for flaggers who are helping with traffic control and make sure to obey their signals.