BELMONT COUNTY, Ohio – Officials closed Rehm Road in Belmont County last week, but they are uncertain when it will reopen.
Richland Township Trustee Rick Ferrell tells River News Network that the township closed the road last Friday due to safety concerns. He said in recent weeks on Rehm Road there were two separate incidents where cars wrecked and landed on their sides. He said the Ohio Highway Patrol responded to a third incident after midnight last Friday where a vehicle became stuck and needed towed off the road.
Ferrell says the road is deteriorating and the extra traffic from motorists navigating around the closed Blaine Hill Bridge likely added to the road damage. He noted that using Rehm Road to avoid the bridge really did not save drivers much travel time anyway.
Rehm Road is a Richland Township road that runs from off Route 40 in St. Clairsville in the area of Sheetz gas station to Blaine Barton Road.
For detours, Ferrell suggests drivers in the St. Clairsville area use Interstate 70 and those in the Blaine area should use Barton Road.
Ferrell says the weather needs to improve before officials can fully evaluate what repairs are needed. He added the road may need asphalt instead of aggregate.
Ferrell said due to weather and the need for a full damage assessment, there is no timeline for when the road will reopen.
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