From the 1/12/06 Defiance Crescent-News:

 

 

Lawsuits filed indicate project about to begin

By TODD HELBERG

[email protected]

 

Five lawsuits filed by the Ohio Department of Transportation in Defiance County Common Pleas Court signify that work on the U.S. 24 project is about to begin.

 

The five suits were filed by ODOT against various property owners along the future U.S. 24 route northwest of Defiance and concern a final compensation settlement with them. However, according to ODOT’s Kirk Slusher, some 47 settlements have already been reached with owners along the first two-mile stretch of U.S. 24 that will be improved - running from Ohio 424 to the Ohio 15/18 overpass.

 

...

 

http://www.crescent-news.com/article.php?pathToFile=/archive/01122006/news/&file=_news1.txt&article=1&tD=01122006

 

From the 1/20/06 Fostoria Review Times:

 

 

Loop road concerns voiced to ODOT

By RUSS ZIMMER

staff writer

 

A Fostoria delegation will be meeting with Ohio Department of Transportation officials today to discuss the initial step of the loop road project.

 

The first step of the project will include discussing issues and concerns as well as selecting consultants to work with, Mayor John Davoli said.

 

 

http://www.reviewtimes.com/News/backissues/2006/Jan/ar_news_012006.asp#story4

 

From the 1/19/06 Pomeroy Daily Tribune:

 

 

PHOTO: Construction on the Pomeroy approach to the new bridge continues despite discovering a layer of shale in the rock face that is to be blasted soon to make way for the road. Shale can deteriorate quickly when exposed to moisture and a design consultant is on the site today to determine a solution to prevent future deterioration. No significant delays or expenses are expected with this latest snag in construction.  Beth Sergent/photo

 

Latest snag for new Pomeroy-Mason Bridge construction

By Beth Sergent

Thursday, January 19, 2006 5:17 PM EST

   

POMEROY - The old saying, “If it isn't one thing, it's another,” could describe the construction of the new Pomeroy-Mason Bridge which has hit its latest snag in the form of shale found embedded in the rock face above what will be the Pomeroy approach to the bridge.

 

Don Tillis, project manager for the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) said that the layer of shale creates a problem because once exposed to moisture it can deteriorate quickly.

 

http://www.mydailytribune.com/articles/2006/01/19/news/local_news/news01.txt

 

Conditions at rest stops yield firings, reprimands

Thursday, January 26, 2006

Ted Wendling

Plain Dealer Bureau

Columbus

 

-- State transportation Director Gordon Proctor fired two supervisors and suspended a third Wednesday for allowing nine rest stops to fall into such disrepair that seven have remained closed since October.

 

For more info, click the link

 

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:

 

[email protected], 1-800-228-8272

 

http://www.cleveland.com/ohio/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/1138267946217260.xml&coll=2

It looks like ODOT is trying to fix the problems. That's better than Indiana's solution impemented over a period of a few years. They simply closed all theirs except for the ones on interstate highways. I think Indiana's only remaining rest area not on an interstate is on US 30 west of Fort Wayne, probably an accomodation for the large amount of long-distance truck traffic on that road.

http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060126/NEWS11/601260327/-1/NEWS

-- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Article published January 26, 2006

 

Chain saws begin carving path for U.S. 24 'Fort to Port' upgrade

By VANESSA WINANS

BLADE STAFF WRITER

 

DEFIANCE - Saw-wielding workers have taken down the first trees to make room for the coming expansion of U.S. 24.

 

Work began this week and is expected take about a month, said tree-cutting contractor David Cunningham of Waterford, Ohio, a small town west of Marietta. The contract calls for his company to clear about eight acres of trees in the right-of-way by April 15.

 

...

<<GRUMBLE!>> :-(

From the 1/27/06 Portsmouth Daily Times:

 

 

ODOT delays bridge work

Costs postpone Ironton-Russell replacement

By Jeff Barron

PDT Staff Writer

Friday, January 27, 2006 10:19 PM EST

 

The Ohio Department of Transportation has postponed replacing the Ironton-Russell Bridge because of higher-than-expected costs.

 

http://www.portsmouth-dailytimes.com/articles/2006/01/28/news/local_news/2news_bridge.txt

---

From the 1/28/06 Ironton Tribune:

 

 

Bridge plans put on hold

By Teresa Moore/The Ironton Tribune

Saturday, January 28, 2006 11:51 PM CST

 

Everyone waiting to see construction start on the new Ironton-Russell Bridge will have to wait longer — perhaps even a lot longer — to see the proposed bridge become reality.

 

http://www.irontontribune.com/articles/2006/02/01/news/news169.txt

 

I am familiar with US 24 from Napoleon, Ohio to I-469 outside of Fort Wayne (we used to go that way from Norwalk to visit family).  And a 4-lane highway would be great!  Following all of those semi's and idiot drivers who drive like two feet behind you on an unusually curvy, winding road (unusual in that that part of the state is the most flat) is really nerve-wracking! 

Crazy Fostoria:

 

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=fostoria,+ohio&ll=41.162346,-83.413938&spn=0.060223,0.171661

Fostoria to gain $1.5M grant for 'loop road' development

 

 

FOSTORIA -- A $1.5 million grant has been awarded to Fostoria by the Ohio Department of Transportation. The money will go toward development of a "loop road" around the city.

 

The city previously was approved for $7 million in federal funds for planning and study of the "loop road." Fostoria needed to provide 20 percent in "matching funds" in order to obtain the federal money, and the city can use the state grant as its "match."

 

U.S. Rep. Paul Gillmor had secured the federal funds, and informed city officials recently that he was able to negotiate with ODOT to obtain the matching funds, too.

 

The loop road, an estimated $30 million project, will utilize existing roads which will be improved to handle additional truck traffic. The project will also include building overpasses across railroad tracks to allow better traffic movement and increase safety.

 

Over the next few years, three overpasses are expected to be constructed which will eventually become part of the loop road. Those three overpass projects are being funded mainly with state money.

 

http://www.thecourier.com/issues/holding/current/current.asp#story9

Perhaps we have some folks raising hell about a direct link to I-71.  From the Wilmington News Journal:

 

 

CCCRD hopes ‘error’ forces new look at direct bypass route

By RACHEL COLLIVER

 

The Clinton County Citizens for Responsible Development is hoping that by exposing what the group thinks is an error by the Ohio Department of Transportation, a more extensive study will be done resulting in a direct route to I-71 being studied as a viable alternative to the Wilmington Bypass currently proposed.

 

At a meeting held Wednesday in the Clinton County Commissioners Office, CCCRD member and Sycamore Glen resident Al Coleman told the commissioners through research he has done on ODOT's environmental assessment [EA] document, he thinks an environmental impact statement [EIS] should have been done instead.

 

...

 

http://www.wnewsj.com/main.asp?Search=1&ArticleID=146728&SectionID=15&SubSectionID=44&S=1

 

From the 2/14/06 Steubenville Herald-Star:

 

 

Route 62 marathon: no one is tired yet

By RYAN GILLIS

Journal Staff Writer

 

SALEM - Business and government leaders eager to see progress on the proposed U.S. Route 62/state Route 14 improvement project, met at the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce Thursday to coordinate their efforts to promote the project.

 

Rick Lutsch, chairman of the chamber's legislative affairs committee, said representatives from local industries along the corridor, as well as the mayors and other government officials from Salem and Alliance attended the meeting.

"We're basically just working on how we put together a united front with all those different communities," Lutsch said.

 

...

 

[email protected]

 

http://www.morningjournalnews.com/news/story/0214202006_new02news10.asp

 

From the 2/11/06 Ironton Tribune:

 

 

Fighting for the Bridge

By Teresa Moore/The Ironton Tribune

Saturday, February 11, 2006 10:43 PM CST

 

Now the community is ready to fight back. Some local business and government leaders said they will soon ask Ohio Department of Transportation officials to move plans for the new Ironton-Russell Bridge off the back burner and back onto the table where locals feel it belongs.

 

http://www.irontontribune.com/articles/2006/02/15/news/news121.txt

---

Same paper, 2/17/06:

 

 

Commission: Don’t shelve bridge project

By Justin McElroy/The Ironton Tribune

Friday, February 17, 2006 2:27 PM CST

 

The Lawrence County Commission isn’t willing to let go of the Ironton-Russell Bridge project without a fight.

 

http://www.irontontribune.com/articles/2006/02/22/news/news100.txt

 

ODOT's briny mixture hurts trees, 2 farmers claim

Friday, February 17, 2006

Rena A. Koontz

Plain Dealer Reporter

Montville Township

 

-- Joe Demeter savors the peace he finds working his 100-acre tree farm. Each tree is like an offspring that he nurtures from seedling to maturity.

 

Now, 16 acres of his children are damaged and dying, and Demeter, normally a quiet guy, is fighting mad.

 

Demeter, 46, and Medina landscaper David Jenkins have sued the Ohio Department of Transportation, contending that the brine it spreads on roads to prevent ice is killing their trees. The suit is the first of its kind in Ohio and possibly the first in the country.

 

http://www.cleveland.com/metro/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/medina/114016951874770.xml&coll=2

ODOT's briny mixture hurts trees, 2 farmers claim

The farms sit along Interstate 71 in Medina and Wayne counties, next to the highway but below road level. Demeter and Jenkins first noticed something wrong with their trees about four years ago. Both men speculated about the problem: bad crop, lack of water, disease. Each rode out the season, paying attention to all possibilities.

 

The next year, the trees were still stunted. Jenkins, whose farm is in West Salem, south of Demeter's Montville Township property, has trees that are 4 feet tall on the land closest to I-71 and 10 feet tall away from the highway. Twenty acres are damaged.

 

http://www.cleveland.com/metro/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/medina/114016951874770.xml&coll=2

 

Yep, Spray drift.  Wouldn't be surprised if the brime also leeches into the soil there as well.

 

From the 2/27/06 Pomeroy Daily Sentinel:

 

 

PHOTO: Off-duty Pomeroy Police Officers have been on the job site of the new bridge approach for several weeks, paid not by the village but by bridge contractor C.J. Mahan which ceased hauling dirt away from the approach last Friday and temporarily ceased needing the officers. The officers may be back when the new design for the bridge approach is completed.  Beth Sergent/photo

 

Dirt removal at bridge approach temporarily ceases

By Beth Sergent

Monday, February 27, 2006 5:38 PM EST

 

POMEROY - As of Friday evening the hauling of dirt from the site of the new bridge approach in Pomeroy has ceased according to a representative of C.J. Mahan Construction, the contractor building the bridge.

 

C.J. Mahan Office Manager Janice Click said the contractor has temporarily stopped hauling dirt from the approach site to the dump site on West Main Street until the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) decides what comes next in regards to the hillside near the approach.

 

http://www.mydailysentinel.com/articles/2006/02/27/news/local_news/news00.txt

 

From the 2/24/06 Ironton Tribune:

 

 

ODOT says new bridge not nixed

By Teresa Moore/The Ironton Tribune

Friday, February 24, 2006 10:37 AM CST

 

“Simmering.”

 

That’s the way an Ohio Department of Transportation official explained the status of a new Ironton-Russell Bridge to Lawrence County Commissioners Thursday.

 

http://www.irontontribune.com/articles/2006/03/01/news/news072.txt

 

I have found another grasscat only thread....I find this to be very humorous.  I do love the design of this bridge, it reminds me of a bridge you can build in SimCity4.  (I know this makes me an automatic nerd right, but whatever)

 

I only wish that the bridge was not located in the middle of nowhere....maybe this should be the design for the replacement of the Brent Spence Bridge in Cincy!!!

ODOT adding message boards

Electronic signs give motorists alerts, provide drive times

Thursday, March 09, 2006

Tim Doulin

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

More message boards advising motorists on traffic conditions and travel time to certain points are popping up on central Ohio freeways.

 

It’s part of $8 million the Ohio Department of Transportation has spent on the second phase of its Intelligent Transportation System that allows officials to monitor Columbus freeway traffic, the state said.

 

"When Phase II is completed, we will have a comprehensive system for central Ohio," said Ferzan M. Ahmed, ODOT transportation engineer.

 

More at:

http://www.dispatch.com/news-story.php?story=dispatch/2006/03/09/20060309-B1-04.html

 

ODOT is also going to be adding message boards on Cleveland-area interstates in advance of the Inner Belt project. I believe the signs are going to be erected either this year or next.

I am glad to see them adding more of these signs. I think they are putting them up on 270(westbound or eastbound, i am unsure) between 315 and Sawmill Road and 270(westbound) between OH 3/Westerville Road and Cleveland Avenue; 670 eastbound between Cassady Avenue and Fifth Avenue; 70(westbound) between Fairfield County Line and Brice Road; and on 315(southbound) near Riverside Hospital or near there.

From the 3/9/06 Defiance Crescent-News:

 

 

‘Fort to Port’ set to begin

By LISA NICELY

[email protected]

 

“Fort to Port” here we come.

 

Construction of the new U.S. 24 just west of Defiance is scheduled to begin in April and continue through October 2008, according to the Ohio Department of Transportation.

 

...

 

http://www.crescent-news.com/article.php?pathToFile=/archive/03092006/news/&file=_news1.txt&article=1&tD=03092006

 

From the 3/12/06 Gallipolis Daily Tribune:

 

 

New bridge nearly ready for reach across river

By Tim Maloney

Sunday, March 12, 2006 6:04 PM EST

 

MASON, W.Va. - The first cable will be strung across the Ohio River sometime next month on the new Pomeroy-Mason bridge, according to Stephanie Filson at Ohio Department of Transportation District 10.

 

In the last few weeks, work has been progressing on both the Ohio and West Virginia towers, with the Ohio side pushing up slightly higher. Stress tests on the new sections of concrete on the West Virginia side have passed muster, and the tower has now grown past where it was when tests showed concrete had not consolidated properly, causing the first tower to be torn down.

 

http://www.mydailytribune.com/articles/2006/03/12/news/local_news/news03.txt

 

From the 3/20/06 Gallipolis Daily Tribune:

 

 

Dirt removal may increase bridge cost

By Beth Sergent

Monday, March 20, 2006 8:04 PM EST

 

POMEROY - Removing more dirt from the hillside above the new Pomeroy bridge approach may result in adding more expense to the budget of the multi-million dollar bridge construction project.

 

Work near the bridge approach came to a halt a couple of weeks ago as engineers and consultants for the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) met to discuss a plan to deal with the layer of shale found embedded in the hillside's rock face.

 

http://www.mydailytribune.com/articles/2006/03/20/news/local_news/news02.txt

 

They haven't had public meetings on this for well over a year, and the project website hasn't been updated.  Who knows if it can even be funded.  Anyway, maybe it's not dead.  From the 3/17/06 Portsmouth Daily Times:

 

 

Bypass remains a reality

By Jeff Barron

PDT Staff Writer

Friday, March 17, 2006 10:58 PM EST

 

State officials have talked about building the Portsmouth Bypass since the 1960s.

 

The Ohio Department of Transportation says the $300 million project will eventually be completed and construction could start as early as 2008.

 

http://www.portsmouth-dailytimes.com/articles/2006/03/18/news/local_news/2news_bypass.txt

 

ok, so I am digging this up, but every time I go home, barrells along harrison are still up.  There are definitely going to be 3 lanes each way from the border to Dry Fork exit.  I heard this was being paid for by the county and not ODOT.  Anyone know why they are widening this stretch when it is still 2 lanes around the Montana Avenue exit 12 miles closer to the city?

I am fairly certain that the highway is not being widened to three lanes, rather, the shoulders are being widened. If I remember correctly this related to the regional Drug Task force, but I could be wrong on that. I could also go out on the limb and say that it is related to the New Haven widening project, but I'll stick with the regional drug task force answer.

there is just no way they are simply widening the shoulders.  they have completely de-done an I-74 bridge that goes over New Biddinger.  If you go and drive out that way, you will see there is plenty of room and if the shoulders are that large, than its ridiculous.  Theyve been working on it for almost a year now and fixing the shoulders shouldnt take that long.

Federal Highway Adminstration design standards for an Interstate require paved berms of about a full lane's width (I believe that's 12 feet) on each side of a directional through roadway, or four berms total. Since this is a relatively new design standard, only the newest highways (since the 1980s or so) have this feature. As older roads are reconstructed, this feature is added (though some have them added without reconstruction). And, often ODOT will widen overpasses that already need major repairs to an extra lane width to more easily accommodate widening plans for the future.

 

It may well be that ODOT will seek to widen I-74 to three lanes in the future, but it doesn't sound like that's what happening now. Check OKI's Transportation Improvement Program to see if anything like that is being considered in the next few years.

And, often ODOT will widen overpasses that already need major repairs to an extra lane width to more easily accommodate widening plans for the future.

 

 

Another benefit is accommodating traffic while the bridge is being reconstructed/widened, correct? They move the traffic to the far side and work on the opposite, this is what I'm gathering from pure observation.

I looked at TIP and as I suspected, they have been doing the following:

 

  PID    Delete Date    Facility Location    Description      Reason

 

 

75120 5/19/2004 IR 74 Repair two slide locations 1-On the ramp from I-74 WB to I-275 WB;

2-On I-74 in the I-275 overlap section.  Contract Let

 

21801 12/3/2004 IR 74 Minor Rehabilitation Indiana State Line to I-275 West Interchange  Contract Let

 

20956 12/14/2004 IR 74 Interchange Study, Resurfacing, Slide Repair,

Guardrail Repair, Sign Upgrade At I-275 Contract Let

 

But in the coming years, according to the TIP (see Page 51 at http://www.oki.org/pdf/TIPFINAL3-9-06.pdf ), the shared section of I-74/I-275 will be widened with additional lane in each direction added in the highway's median. Cost of the widening alone will be $88 million, and is among more than $50 million of other improvements to bridges and interchanges along I-74. Here are the list of the Project Identification numbers if you'd like to look them up individually:

 

21146

23302

25269

25354

75695

75730

75765

77076

77484

78082

78083

79308

Another benefit is accommodating traffic while the bridge is being reconstructed/widened, correct? They move the traffic to the far side and work on the opposite, this is what I'm gathering from pure observation.

 

Yes, that's correct, Ink. A pretty routine practice.

Another benefit is accommodating traffic while the bridge is being reconstructed/widened, correct? They move the traffic to the far side and work on the opposite, this is what I'm gathering from pure observation.

 

Yes, that's correct, Ink. A pretty routine practice.

Jumping in late, but yes this is the case. ODOT has a very strict lane closure policy for Interstates; I gather I-74 is one  where the lanes can't be closed, so extra shoulder width is being used to accomodate the shift in traffic during construction - in this case the extra shoulder width is required for the permanent arrangement (the 10-12'), the temp. lanes will not have a shoulder though. Expect more crossover type construction, where all lanes are placed on one roadway while the other side is totally redone, in Ohio in the near future.

From the 4/9/06 Defiance Crescent-News:

 

 

Realignment impacts businesses

By TODD HELBERG

[email protected]

 

While U.S. 24’s widening is generally viewed as a positive development, the initial phase won’t come without a few growing pains for some local businesses.

 

A $36.7 million contract was awarded last week to E.S. Wagner, Oregon, for work on a two-mile stretch of U.S. 24 on Defiance’s north edge. Ground is expected to be broken this month.

 

...

 

http://www.crescent-news.com/article.php?pathToFile=/archive/04092006/news/&file=_news1.txt&article=1&tD=04092006

 

From the 4/25/06 Defiance Crescent-News:

 

 

U.S. 24 project likely will not adversely affect area bald eagles

By JARED ORZOLEK

[email protected]

 

NAPOLEON - The final environmental impact study on the preferred route of the U.S. 24 widening project from Napoleon to Toledo was released Monday by the Ohio Department of Transportation District 2.

 

The study shows that the latest design of the highway construction project will impact seven acres of wetlands, but the project likely will not adversely affect bald eagles known to nest in the project area.

 

...

 

http://www.crescent-news.com/article.php?pathToFile=/articles//news/&file=_news3.txt&article=1&tD=

 

http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060504/NEWS11/605040455/-1/NEWS

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Article published May 4, 2006

 

U.S. 24 widening finally under way

Work begins on Defiance stretch

By DAVID PATCH

BLADE STAFF WRITER

 

DEFIANCE - After decades on Ohio Department of Transportation drawing boards, construction of the U.S. 24 "Fort to Port" highway between the Toledo and Fort Wayne metro areas officially began yesterday with a groundbreaking ceremony behind an ODOT garage in Defiance.

 

"This is a day we've long been waiting for," Defiance Mayor Bob Amstrong said after he, Gov. Bob Taft, and other dignitaries dug shovels into a prepared mound of dirt. The ceremony signified the start of a $36.7 million state contract to widen three miles of U.S. 24 between State Rts. 15 and 424 on the city's northwest side.

 

...

U.S. 24 widening finally under way

Work begins on Defiance stretch

 

... The Indiana Department of Transportation has pledged to finish the section from the state line to I-469 outside Fort Wayne by late 2009, Mr. Slusher said....

 

Don't forget, you're talking about Indiana, here, folks. If the Indiana portion isn't well underway before Mitch Daniels leaves office at the end of what I predict will be his only term, there will be twenty more years of discussion before the concept dies of old age.

 

Not that that would be a bad thing, IMO. The major reason cited locally for the project is safety; we'll spend a ton of money to make a road where the truckers can go even faster, instead of enforcing existing traffic laws, and I speculate that it won't reduce the body count much.

 

I'm not entirely on board, either, with the notion of spending public funds to give the trucking industry an even greater edge in competition with established, already-heavily-invested private enterprise in the form of freight railroads. The Fort-to-Port highway, linking up at Fort Wayne with I-69, already proposed for extension to Mexico, will serve a market that would be better served environmentally and economically by rail.

Haven't heard much about this lately.  This appeared in the 5/31/05 Huntington Herald-Dispatch:

 

 

Projected I-73 route through S.C. announced

Staff and wire reports

 

COLUMBIA, S.C. -- South Carolina highway officials have proposed a route in that state for the first segment of Interstate 73, which would connect the Carolina coast with the midwest and perhaps come through the Tri-State area.

 

After years of study, South Carolina highway officials announced their preferred route for the first segment of Interstate 73.  But the route is not yet final, and officials still have to find a way to pay for the highway. Planners have estimated the project's cost could reach $2 billion.  The proposed corridor would cross through North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia and Ohio on its way to Michigan.  Congress ranks Interstate 73/74 as fifth on its list of 45 "High Priority Corridors," but funding difficulties line the route in each state.

 

In West Virginia, the road would follow the route of the King Coal Highway through Mercer, McDowell and Mingo counties, then through Wayne and up to Huntington.  The discussions in South Carolina only deal with the first leg, which would go from I-95 near Latta and running through Marion and Horry counties before linking with the Conway Bypass.

 

MORE: http://www.herald-dispatch.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060531/NEWS01/605310314/1005/RSS01

 

I covered some of those I-73 meetings in Ohio when I was reporting for Channel 6 in Columbus.  It was barely even a proposal and got roundly blasted by both rural, suburban and urban interests.  No one wanted the disprution that a major interstate highway project would bring, nor the loss of valuable land (most of it farmland). 

 

There is even less money for new highways in ODOT's budget than before, and some of that decline is due to the decline in gasoline sales (and thus the gas tax revenues) as gasoline prices have risen.

 

I've learned to never say never, but building a major interstate would create an even bigger firestorm than it did back in the early 90's.  We need to be putting more $$$$ into modes and fix the highways we've already got.

Well, I was hoping this was news regarding Ohio, but nope, Carolina instead.

 

I'll go out on a limb and say that without auxiliary funding for these two interstates neither of these two interstates/extensions will see the light of day outside of West Virginia, and that is not necessarily a bad thing. Given that many of Ohio's highways are overburdened or becoming overburdened I would much rather see us worry about the existing infrastructure and keep it running smoothly. If Ohio is forced by the southern states to build this without substantial federal funding then I sure hope that they make them toll roads.

 

Between 73 and 74 in Ohio, I would say that the 74 extension has the better chance of seeing the light of day since there is less distance to cover and 32 could more easily be upgraded that US 23. There is also the little fact that KY has shown interest in routing 74 along what currently is the AA highway.

 

The truth is that I don't forsee either highway coming to be anytime soon in Ohio, and I would expect neither ODOT or politicians forsee that either. Perhaps as SC, NC, and WV finish their parts of the highway there will be mounting pressure on Ohio and Michigan to finish their sections, but until that moment, there just is not enough interest in the state to do it.

The truth is that I don't forsee either highway coming to be anytime soon in Ohio, and I would expect neither ODOT or politicians forsee that either. Perhaps as SC, NC, and WV finish their parts of the highway there will be mounting pressure on Ohio and Michigan to finish their sections, but until that moment, there just is not enough interest in the state to do it.

 

Exactly.  I'll make the roadie from Louisiana to Ohio for the next ODOT press conference to announce anything about I-73/74.

As for now.  North Carolina is building, South Carolina is rerouting, and Virginia can't fully commit itself yet.

From the 6/13/06 Pomeroy Daily Sentinel:

 

 

PHOTO: Justin Taylor, employee of Intech of Lancaster, Ky., monitors traffic on the Pomeroy Mason Bridge during the bridge's annual inspection which began yesterday. Traffic is limited to one lane from the hours of 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. through Friday. The Ohio Department of Transportation is also conducting a “test blast” at the approach for the new Pomeroy Mason Bridge today, causing additional traffic delays.  Beth Sergent/photos

 

Bridge inspection and approach blasting to create traffic delays

By Beth Sergent

Tuesday, June 13, 2006 5:29 PM EDT

 

POMEROY - Like it or not waiting is a part of life and this week those that use the Pomeroy Mason Bridge to get to and fro may have to wait a little longer to arrive at their destinations thanks to the existing bridge's annual inspection and the commencement of blasting above the new bridge's Pomeroy approach.

 

The annual inspection of the 1928 Pomeroy Mason Bridge began yesterday and will continue through Friday. This week traffic on the bridge is restricted to one lane from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. while Intech from Lancaster, Ky. complete the inspection.

 

http://www.mydailysentinel.com/articles/2006/06/14/news/local_news/news01.txt

 

From the 6/18/06 Gallipolis Daily Tribune:

 

 

Blasting at Pomeroy Bridge approach likely to continue through summer

By Beth Sergent

Sunday, June 18, 2006 5:49 PM EDT

 

POMEROY - Although the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) is unsure exactly when blasting will be complete near the Pomeroy Bridge approach, it will likely continue through the summer, this according to ODOT Public Information Officer for District 10 Stephanie Filson.

 

Although Filson could only make an educated guess based on the information she had, one thing is certain, the process to clear less than one acre of land above where the approach will set presents its own set of unique challenges.

 

http://www.mydailytribune.com/articles/2006/06/18/news/local_news/news01.txt

 

From the 6/24/06 Ironton Tribune:

 

 

ODOT awards demolition contract

By Teresa Moore/The Ironton Tribune

Saturday, June 24, 2006 10:08 PM CDT

 

The Ohio Department of Transportation last week awarded a contract to demolish several structures on property that will be used as approaches to the new Ironton-Russell Bridge.

 

D.G.M., Inc., of Beaver, was the apparent low bidder, submitting a bid of $93,967 to clear 17 structures on nine parcels of land in the area of Second and Jefferson streets.

 

http://www.irontontribune.com/articles/2006/06/28/news/news513.txt

 

From the 7/1/06 Ironton Tribune:

 

 

Bridge Plans Move Forward

By Teresa Moore/The Ironton Tribune

Saturday, July 1, 2006 8:47 PM CDT

 

A new Ironton-Russell Bridge will look different from what was initially planned and will undoubtedly take more time to build, but it will be built.

 

That was the word from Ohio Department of Transportation District 9 officials this week.

 

http://www.irontontribune.com/articles/2006/07/05/news/news441.txt

 

The original bridge was pretty odd in its approaches, especially the one on the Russel side, which had these righ-angle turns on the ramp leading off the bridge.

 

There is another one of those cable stayed bridges in the Huntington-Ashland area, over on the east side of Huntington, across to Ohio.

 

I hope we get something with as much visual punch as this bridge for the Brent Spence replacement in Cincinnati.  We don't need another Taylor-Southgate bridge, BORING!

From the Paulding County Progress:

 

 

US 24 construction will be delayed here

Local officials hope to fight decision

By JIM LANGHAM

Feature Writer

 

Work on the U.S. 24 Fort-to-Port project between the Indiana state line and U.S. 127 in Paulding County could be delayed at least two years, according to Kirk Slusher, planning and programs administrator for the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT).

 

According to ODOT, the project, which was originally slated to be bid in the summer of 2007, is currently scheduled now to be bid in the summer of 2009.

 

...

 

http://www.progressnewspaper.org/story1.html

 

From the Paulding County Progress:

 

 

Large crowd questions Slusher concerning detour of U.S. 24 construction

By JIM LANGHAM

Feature Writer

 

A week after area residents learned that the U.S. 24 Fort-to-Port project between the Indiana state line and

 

U.S. 127 in Paulding County could be delayed at least two years, a large crowd of concerned residents gathered at the county extension building on Monday to discuss the matter with Kirk Slusher, planning and programs administrator for the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT).

 

...

 

http://www.progressnewspaper.org/story1.html