Photo by Art Smith Traffic on the Cincinnati end of Ohio 32 often is congested near the city.

If you are heading west out of the Mid-Ohio Valley, chances are you are going to make at least part of the journey on Ohio 32. A 181-mile stretch of four-lane highway that connects Belpre in the east, to the edge of Cincinnati in the west.

The highway, officially called the James A. Rhodes Appalachian Highway, was widened from two-lane roads over decades, slowly shortening the distance across the state as engineers removed hills and reshaped curves. The highway is named for the former governor who grew up in Jackson, one of the towns through which the highway passes.

Today Ohio 32 starts on the Ohio side of the Belpre Bridge, joins Ohio 7 at the end of Memorial Bridge and U.S. 50 at the off ramp of the Blennerhassett Bridge and shares the road with Ohio 7 to Coolville and U.S. 50 until it splits near the Ohio University Airport in Albany. The Parkersburg portion of the Corridor D project tied the Ohio and West Virginia portion of the project together and was finished with the opening of the bridge in 2008. The eastern part of that project tied Parkersburg to Bridgeport W. Va., with U.S. 50. In total, Corridor D is 232.9 miles long.

All the portions of the Appalachian Highway System were the result of a report to Congress in 1964 that economic growth in the area would not be possible until the region could become less isolated through the construction of better roads. Sections of the system, which is about 85 percent completed, stretch from New York to Mississippi and it includes 3,090 miles of roads that are part of 24 corridor projects.

“It’s a lot shorter than the other highways we once used,” said Sharon Manson, director of the Pike County Convention and Visitors Bureau in Waverly. “It was done to be able to move traffic without using the winding roads in southern Ohio. It took a long time because they would finish part of it and have to wait for funding. It’s helped us a lot, not only in tourism but other businesses because they have better access to other towns. Businesses that weren’t here have built along 32.”

Photo by Art Smith A large metal rooster beckons travelers along Ohio 32 near Mount Orab.

Ohio 32 passes through the towns of Jasper, Seaman, Peebles, Batavia and Mount Orab as it makes its way across the state before returning to a two-lane road after passing the outer belt of Cincinnati before finally joining Beechmont Avenue, which passes under U.S. 50. The federal highway took a more northern, and sometimes two-lane route across the state after the split in Albany 137 miles before.

Some economic growth is evident along the highway, with several new hospitals, large car dealerships near Cincinnati, and several recently built fast food restaurants to feed the hungry traveler.

One recent addition was the Brown County Campus of Southern State Community College three years ago.

“In our region there were no options for students, they had to drive an hour,” said J.R. Roush, Brown County campus director. “We provide so many opportunities for high schools students that can come to our campus in high school and earn college credits before they graduate from high school.” The school is also used for community training programs for groups in nearby Mount Orab.

“You have to be asleep at the wheel to miss us on 32. All of our nursing students have opportunities just across the highway at the Mercy Health Mount Orab Medical Center as well as the Adams County Regional Hospital also recently built alongside 32 about 30 minutes away.”

Photo by Art Smith Burma-Shave style signs offer a religious message near Cincinnati.

Photo by Art Smith Mount Orab is one of several communities located along Ohio 32.