As part of the Ohio Department of Transportation — District 9’s Planning Department, the district’s environmental office is seeking public input for the replacement of two culverts on S.R. 73 in Highland County.

It is proposed to replace two culverts on S.R. 73 at the 17.61 and 17.66 mile marks in Highland County. The project is located in a rural area of Washington Township.

The existing culvert at the 17.61 mile mark is 2-foot by 2-foot stone box with 30-inch corrugated metal pipe (CMP) extensions. The new structure will be a 30-inch Type A conduit.

The existing culvert at the 17.66 mile mark is 18-inch by 18-inch stone box with 24-inch CMP extensions. The new structure will be a 24-inch Type A conduit.

The project will not require new right-of-way, and no homes or businesses will be removed by the project.

The roadway will be closed for the duration of the project.

The state detour will be S.R. 73 to S.R. 785 to S.R. 247 to S.R. 73. The state detour is approximately 14.5 miles.

The funding for the project is 80 percent federal and 20 percent local. The environmental commitment date is Jul;y 15, 2022. The project is currently expected to be awarded Feb. 6, 2023.

Written comments should be submitted by April 14, 2022, or the deadline date that is posted on the website, to: Greg Manson, ODOT District 9 environmental supervisor, 650 Eastern Ave., Chillicothe, Ohio 45601; or by email at [email protected].

The environmental review, consultation and other actions required by applicable federal environmental laws for this project are being, or have been, carried-out by ODOT pursuant to 23 U.S.C. 327 and a memorandum of understanding dated Dec. 14, 2020, and executed by FHWA and ODOT.

Submitted by Matthew McGuire, Ohio Department of Transportation.