An emergency remediation project has begun on U.S. Route 50 in Ross County, where the route was closed approximately three miles east of Bainbridge last week due to safety concerns.
On Tuesday, April 11, U.S. 50 was closed between Dill Road and California Hollow Road after a series of heavy rains comprised the roadway and jeopardized a slide repair project that is already underway. Although the maintenance of traffic plan for the project called for U.S. 50 to remain open to one lane with temporary signals during construction, ODOT District 9’s Construction Department enacted a full closure of the route when the pavement started to collapse across both lanes.
Through its existing contract with the George J. Igel Company, ODOT has now issued an emergency declaration for the contractors to build a secondary, smaller retaining wall along the eastbound lane of the route and reconstruct the failed section of pavement, thereby allowing U.S. 50 to be open to one lane of traffic during the remainder of construction.
While the intermediate remediation has already begun, a timeline to complete this work has yet to be determined; however, it is anticipated that construction will take approximately three weeks. Until U.S. 50 can be open to one lane, though, motorists will be detoured via SR 41 and SR 28.
The George J. Igel and Company was awarded an initial contract for approximately $898,890 to repair the slide, and construction includes installing a drilled shaft retaining wall, reconstructing the embankment, paving and setting new guardrail. The entire project has been scheduled for completion in early to mid-summer.
Submitted by Kathleen Fuller, ODOT Distirct 9 public information officer.