MARIETTA - Summer may be moving quickly toward fall, but road construction season remains in full swing.
Temperature ultimately determines when most road construction will wind down, said David Rose, public information officer for the Ohio Department of Transportation's District 10. It could be mid-November before it gets too cold for paving, he said.
"Big projects that have a lot of earthwork, like the Nelsonville bypass, those will continue throughout the winter months," Rose said.
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In the next couple of weeks, traffic patterns in the work area of the Ohio 7/Interstate 77 road construction project are expected to shift as one phase is completed and the next begins. The project is scheduled for completion next spring.
The current traffic pattern on Ohio 7 near the Interstate 77 interchange and across the Duck Creek Bridge will remain in effect for another couple of weeks, Rose said.
Currently, traffic is maintained in one lane either direction in what would normally be the southbound lanes. That is expected to change by the middle of September, when work on the northbound lanes will be completed and traffic will switch over to them while the southbound lanes are repaved.
The estimated completion date for the $4.15 million Ohio 7/I-77 interchange project is May 2011. It was not immediately clear when the traffic pattern would return to normal, but there is work to be done beyond the paving.
ODOT and the City of Marietta Streets Department will be working together this week on a shorter project - repairing a sunken piece of pavement on Fort Harmar Drive, near the entrance to Rink's, said Chris Hess, assistant city street superintendent.
According to a release from the city engineer's office, the northbound lane of Fort Harmar Drive (Ohio 7) between Market Street and Ohio 550 will be closed Wednesday for the work. The repair is only expected to take one day, weather permitting.
Traffic will be maintained by flaggers. Motorists should expect delays and are asked to drive cautiously in the work area.
The other major ongoing road project in the city is the Gilman Avenue resurfacing and sidewalk installation.
"The city crews continue constructing sidewalk and driveways" along Gilman, said Kevin Crock, project manager with Marietta's engineering department.
Contractor Shelly and Sands is waiting for a specialty crew to be available to complete catch basins and tying in curbs, Crock said. The hope is that they will be on the scene this week.
Asphalt work on Gilman is still projected to begin in mid-September.
