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Originally published Sept. 18, 2024
BELMONT COUNTY, Ohio – The Belmont County Commissioners approved an agreement between the Belmont County Engineer’s office and the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) concerning the replacement of the Blaine Hill Bridge during Wednesday’s commission meeting.
Belmont County Engineer Terry Lively called the agreement a consent formality involving U.S. 40 crossing over County Road 10 and Wheeling Creek. He said County Road 10 is not scheduled for any work during the bridge project.
Lively explained that ODOT will be starting preliminary plans for the bridge project by late summer 2025. He added that the project will take quite a lot of time to complete.
We’re talking months, if not years, for that project.
Terry Lively, Belmont County Engineer
ODOT closed the bridge totally August 5 due to deterioration and drivers ignoring closed signs and going the wrong way up the bridge facing oncoming traffic. ODOT had previously closed the bridge to westbound traffic beginning July 3.
Motorists remain inconvenienced by the bridge closure and resulting traffic snarls in the Bridgeport area.
The official ODOT detour for westbound traffic is I-70 from Marion Street to the U.S. 40 National Road/County Road 214 exit (Exit 220) to return to U.S. 40. Eastbound traffic will enter I-70 from County Road 214 to the U.S. 250/State Route 7 exit (Exit 225) to Marion Street to return to U.S. 40.
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