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ODOT hears Eastern Ohio

It is gratifying to know that state officials in Columbus are hearing the residents of Eastern Ohio and responding to our concerns.

On Thursday, the Ohio Department of Transportation announced that reconstruction of the Blaine Hill Bridge will begin this year — that’s two years earlier than originally planned. The U.S. 40 bridge had been restricted in July due to structural concerns, then it was completely closed in August as a result of further deterioration and to motorists traveling the wrong way in the lanes that were open.

At that point, ODOT anticipated that work would begin in 2027 and take at least 12 months to complete. That frustrated local residents who relied on the 1932 span to travel east and west across much of the county. People living in communities such as Lansing, Blaine and Barton expressed that the bridge was a vital link for them and that the delay was unacceptable.

Area residents organized themselves and appealed for help. Municipal and county leaders and state lawmakers representing Belmont County all urged ODOT to find a way to move the project time line and set an earlier start date.

“We’ve heard the concerns of the public and we share and understand those concerns. … We’ve heard those concerns and our team has been working since the beginning to try and find ways to accelerate this,” ODOT Press Secretary Matt Bruning said. “The public feedback is important but our group of engineers, designers, and project experts have been trying to get this project shortened since day one and they will continue that. We know how important this bridge is to this community and we want to get it reopened as soon as we can.”

Obviously safety must be the top priority as ODOT moves forward with the project, and having the bridge closed presents its own set of hazards, including access for first responders. But, again, it is good to know leaders at the state level are listening to our concerns.

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