PDT Staff Writer

The Ohio Department of Transportation reports it will close part of Ohio 335 next week in preparation for resurfacing work.

On Monday and Tuesday, workers will be replacing a deteriorated culvert at the 13.22 mile marker on the road. The culvert is one mile south of Scioto County 204 (Cathey Lane) in Madison Township.

Motorists will be detoured via Ohio 139 in Jackson County to Ohio 32 and Ohio 776.

ODOT plans to reopen the road on May 8. The work is contingent upon the weather.

“This is in preparation of resurfacing work on (Ohio) 335 and (Ohio) 776,” ODOT District 9 Public Information Director Kathleen Fuller said. “We can do it more cost-effective ourselves than by putting it into the contract.”

Shelly Construction Company of Thornville will do the resurfacing work. The company plans to start the project next week.

“I don't know exactly what they will do at first,” Fuller said. “They may just put up signs. But they can start while we are replacing the culvert.”

A culvert is a long piece of metal or concrete piping that directs water under a roadway.

The work is part of ODOT's spring construction schedule.

Shelly Construction has until Oct. 31 to finish its repaving job.

“That's not a huge job to get done in that amount of time,” Fuller said.

For information on traffic and road work throughout Ohio, log onto www.buckeyetraffic.org.

JEFF BARRON can be reached at (740) 353-3101, ext. 236.