Ryan Scott Ottney

PDT Staff Writer

NEW BOSTON — After months of work, Ohio 139 in New Boston is expected to reopen next week after crews working for the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) repave the road this week. After crews finish repaving 139, they will move one street over to Lakeview to pave the newly created Glenwood Tiger Trail running between new school building and New Boston Stadium.

ODOT closed Ohio 139 in New Boston on March 5 to begin a 180-day slip repair project. The $1.6 million state contract was awarded to Complete General Construction, in Columbus with a target completion of fall 2012. In the meantime, ODOT has detoured traffic on U.S. 23 and U.S. 52, re-routing traffic far in advance to Ohio 335 to avoid traffic on Ohio 139. The village of New Boston also set up local detours on Oak, Cedar and Maple streets, causing lengthy traffic tie-ups on Lakeview Avenue.

The road project was placed on temporary hold in late April after steel beams used in the retaining wall began failing beneath the weight of the hillside. The state ordered a redesign to correct the problem, and the crews went back to work in May. The redesigned features, however, did not work as well as planned, and the project went on hold again last month, waiting for another redesign. That redesign reportedly cost the state of Ohio an additional $160,000.

ODOT Spokesperson Kathleen Fuller said last month the wall was complete, and said next step was to pave the road between the New Boston corporation line at Blaine Avenue to U.S. 52 East in mid-November.

Crews from The Shelly Company, of Thornville, OH, were preparing 139 on Wednesday and reported to New Boston Village Administrator Steve Hamilton they they expected to mill and pave the road on Thursday (today). The company told Hamilton they hope to have it all complete in just one-day, but thought they might have to work into Friday to finish the job. In the meantime, traffic on 139 will be reduced to one-lane only.

Once the paving is complete, 139 will be opened first time since March — perhaps as soon as Monday.

“I know this has been a burden on the citizens of New Boston and the citizens of Scioto County that 139 has been closed, but this is something that had to be done just because the hill sliding in. Once it’s all done everything can get back to normal. I know it’s been a headache to everybody, but it’s something that had to be done and we’re just glad that the state stepped in and did do it,” Hamilton said.

After The Shelly Company finishes the job on 139, they are expected to move down one block to pave the newly created Glenwood Tiger Trail that passes between the new school and New Boston Stadium. Once the road has been paved, it will undergo a safety inspection to determine when the school will open.

Ryan Scott Ottney can be reached at 740-353-3101, ext. 287, or rottney@heartlandpublications.com.