Construction begins on U.S. 33 expansion project

MEIGS COUNTY, OHIO (WOWK) – The ground was broken Monday on a $274 million highway expansion project decades in the making. 

Government and Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) leaders gathered to celebrate the beginning of U.S. 33’s expansion from two lanes to four in an effort which they said will enhance safety for travelers while supporting economic development.

The project includes increasing lanes on a 10-mile stretch from Athens to Darwin, Ohio, and on a 15-mile stretch between State Route 7 and Ravenswood, West Virginia. 10 connecting bridges will also be built by the end of the project.

Jay Edwards, a former State Representative with the Ohio House of Representatives, said that he dedicated a lot of time toward seeing the project come to fruition during his eight years serving. He said this expansion is something that residents of Meigs County have been asking for decades.

“The one common consensus I got from the constituents down here in Meigs County was they wanted this highway to be a four-lane. It should’ve been done when they first did the highway 25 years ago, but we’re happy to be celebrating here today. It’s a big day for Meigs County. It’s not everyday you get to celebrate anywhere in Appalachia a $274 million investment,” Edwards said.

The construction is being funded by the “Connect 4 Ohio” program, a state-run program that aims to connect rural Ohio communities with major cities.

Rich Oster, the Deputy Director of District 10 with ODOT, said with so many businesses beginning to plant roots in southeast Ohio comes a large influx of semi-truck traffic. This has made U.S. 33 a more dangerous roadway, but expanding to four lanes should help alleviate that issue.

“You know, one thing that’s really almost exploded since COVID is the amount of commercial traffic that’s been hitting our roadways. So, you know, southeast Ohio with the development that’s going on here, and across the river in West Virginia, it’s critical to ensure the safe transportation of commercial trucks up and down our roadways,” Oster said.

Oster said that the impact on traffic when construction begins this week will be minimal. Crews will begin by building the two new lanes on either side of U.S. 33 before repaving the original lanes.

Construction on the U.S. 33 expansion project is expected to be finished by 2028.