U.S. 50 Reopens in Time for Thanksgiving

(Ohio Department of Transportation - District 9) --  There’ll be no need to detour over the river and through the woods...because U.S. 50 between Bainbridge and Bourneville has been reopened. 

The route was closed between California Hollow Road and Dill Road since Monday, November 13, for the final phase of the slide repair...but ODOT reports not only is one lane open, but that restriction is anticipated to end by about 4 p.m. today.  

There will be some additional embankment work in the spring...with little to no impact to traffic.

The original landslide project called for reconstructing U.S. 50 by installing a 368-foot retaining wall.  But since the start of construction, it encountered a series of setbacks and complications because of the terrain, geological features and weather-related impacts that compromised soil conditions and the pavement. 

As a result, the project was put on hold and redesigned to include a second, 128-foot double-beamed lag wall at the west end of the construction zone.

With the route now open to traffic, crews are wrapping up work today with seeding and mulching along the shoulder, and traffic is being maintained by flaggers. Operations and the single-lane restrictions are anticipated to be completed by late afternoon today.

And while the majority of construction has been finished, there will be some additional embankment work to be completed next spring. When crews do return to the site, the route will remain open to two lanes, and there should be little to no impact to traffic.