33 Bypass should be finished August/September this year

[NYBuckeye96]

http://www.athensnews.com/ohio/article- ... -2013.html

ODOT hopes for continued progress on 33 bypass in 2013

By David DeWitt

In 2012, the Ohio Department of Transportation had a big year with the U.S. Rt. 33 Nelsonville bypass, opening several miles of it months ahead of schedule.

The department looks to make 2013 even better, with the rest of the bypass slated to open also a little ahead of schedule, perhaps in late August or early September according to a spokesperson.

Work on the bypass for now is on hold for the winter, according to a press release from the department outlining all that was done in 2012.

"Although work on the 8.5-mile-long bypass will start back up next spring, 2012 was a highly productive and successful year for the $138 million project," the release stated.

ODOT broke ground on phases two and three on Oct. 13, 2009. Phase one started construction in 2007 with a $23 million contract and was completed in 2009.

"We couldn't be more pleased with the progress we've made this year," said ODOT District 10 Deputy Director Steve Williams in the release. "Once we open the bypass next year, this major corridor and busy truck route will not only be safer to travel but will further enhance economic development opportunities in southeastern Ohio."

From January 2012 to November 2012, contractors Kokosing Construction Company, which has handled phase two, and Beaver Excavating, which has been working on phase three, along with their subcontractors, logged more than 160,000 hours combined on the two phases. The ODOT release noted that this is equivalent to one person working 24 hours per day for 18 years.

In an interview Monday, ODOT spokesperson David Rose confirmed that phase two wasn't supposed to open until this coming spring, but the department was able to open it in October.

This part of the bypass includes more than three miles of highway earthwork and 4.56 miles of four-lane paving on the northwest side of the bypass, according to the release. It also included construction of the interchange on the west side of Nelsonville and the construction of four bridges.

All told, Kokosing poured four bridge decks, installed 19,000 feet of guardrail, placed more than 52,000 tons of aggregate base, paved 8,646 cubic yards of asphalt, placed more than 475,000 square yards of seeding and mulch and installed 89,000 feet of drainage pipe, approximately 17 miles long.

ODOT called it "one of the greatest accomplishments made this year" to open the 3.8 miles of phase two nearly nine months ahead of schedule.

"The opening of phase two ahead of schedule is incredible and illustrates the hard work ODOT and the contractors have been doing since we broke ground in 2009," phase two Project Engineer Audrey Seals said in the news release. "Motorists can now get into and out of Nelsonville much safer than before."

MEANWHILE, PHASE THREE begins near Doanville on the project's southeast side and includes construction of 3.87 miles of four-lane highway. Phase three also includes the construction of the interchange between Rt. 33, state Rt. 78 and state Rt. 691.

The project will end up rerouting state Rt. 78 1.63 miles through the Happy Hollow area to form the interchange, according to ODOT.

In 2012, Beaver workers excavated the final 400,000 cubic yards of dirt and place the last 170,000 yards of embankment. They also placed 15,000 cubic yards of grout, installed 111,000 feet of drainage pipe, placed 75,000 tons of aggregate base, paved 70,000 square yards of concrete pavement, poured five bridge decks and placed 437,000 square yards of seeding and mulching.

"We accomplished our goals this year of finishing the excavation work, mine grouting and pouring the concrete decks," said phase three Project Engineer Daniel McDonald in the news release. "Next year we'll focus on paving, finishing the State Route 78 interchange and installing safety items such as pavement markings, signs and lighting."

ODOT spokesperson Rose told The NEWS that phase three is on time right now, adding that it's a much larger project than phase two.

"At the end of 2012, looking at the stats you can see that a lot of work has been done," he said. "The good thing about this type of project, where it's a new alignment that doesn't impact a lot of traffic, it's a lot of dirt work. With that much dirt work, you can work nearly year around. That really helps speed up the process."

Another thing that helped was the mild winter last year, he said.

Looking toward 2013, Rose said, paving will start on phase three.

"It's always nice when you go from looking at dirt to blacktop. It's an exciting part," he said. "And then we do the pavement marking, the striping, the signage, the lighting, all those necessary safety items. And then we'll be able to open it up."

Rose said that at its heart the bypass project is about two things: Safety and economic development.

"There are more serious crashes – rear-end accidents – that happen in Nelsonville because of all the lights and all the different, we call them, conflict points – driveways coming onto 33 and the bottleneck," he said. "So the ultimate goal for the bypass was always to make the road safer and finally have that last piece of U.S. 33 to be all four lanes."

Actually, U.S. Rt. 33 between Columbus and its state Rt. 124 extension to Ravenswood, W.Va. and Interstate 77, does have two two-lane sections, between Athens and Shade, and between north of Pomeroy and Ravenswood, though it was built on a four-lane right-of-way for possible future expansion. The highway is straighter and wider than it used to be, though it still has a 55-mile speed limit.

Having nearly all of U.S. Rt. 33 four-lane highway, he said, from an economic standpoint, opens up one of the busiest truck routes in the state.

"By having this new alignment, it's going to be much faster and much safer, and we're probably going to see an increase in truck traffic, which is great for the economy," he said.

[mustang_lvr]

i have yet been on the part that is open, but heard it was nice

[The Enforcer]

The part thats open is VERY nice, Its nice not having to go through the old road

[dazed&confused]

Wish they would have completed the other end first. I also wish that when they re-locate 78, they would route it out and around that speed trap in Buchtel!

[NYBuckeye96]

Wish they would have completed the other end first. I also wish that when they re-locate 78, they would route it out and around that speed trap in Buchtel!

Part of the relocated 78 has been open for about 2 years now. It's that new road that was built near the intersection of the current 78 and Sylvania Avenue. This road will eventually expand to be the exit ramp to that part of the bypass. You will still have to drive through Buchtel, as you will still be about a 1/4 to 1/2 a mile or so still in Nelsonville.

When its all said and done, 78, the old 33 (Canal St) and 691 will all converge at one point. I *think* you will be able to either exit directly to Canal St/691 or turn the other way and take the new 78 driving toward the school complex.

The old 78 will remain, it just won't be called St. Rt 78 anymore. It will just be Burr Oak Blvd.

[mustang_lvr]

i know the new highway will hurt Dees.Just hope not enough to put them out of business. If it does i hope they can relocated to a good spot.

[C-Bolt]

I drove by there today and saw three cars and a semi parked,more than i thought I would see

[mustang_lvr]

some of the truckers and probably a lot of other know it is good food and it just might be worth a few minutes to go through Haydenville to stop there. If they stay open the new highway will not stop me from stopping in for a bite.

[noreply66]

Haven't been there for awhile. It always seemed busy when I went past. I haven't been down past now that part of the 4-lane is open.

[mustang_lvr]

has anyone estimated the time this new highway will save? Nelsonville did a great jump on the main drag a few years ago and with all the trucks going the new highway it should save some bucks on up keep.

[NYBuckeye96]

has anyone estimated the time this new highway will save? Nelsonville did a great jump on the main drag a few years ago and with all the trucks going the new highway it should save some bucks on up keep.

I estimate that the part that is already opened saves about 5 minutes on a trip to Columbus. If you drive from downtown Nelsonville to Columbus and don't stop (other than hitting a red light on 33), it takes approximately one hour to get from the Public Square in Nelsonville to the State Route 315 exit from I-70, near Mount Carmel, just south of the Ohio State campus. Before the bypass, it took approximately one hour to get from the Public Square to the exit ramp for I-70 from US 33. This is for a normal drive that is NOT rush hour.

For those traveling to Columbus south from Nelsonville, I'm estimating the time savings will be at least 12 minutes in drive time once the other half of the bypass opens. Since half of it is open and it saves 5 minutes, its a safe assumption the other half is at least 5 minutes. However, it takes about 2 minutes now to drive from the roundabout in Nelsonville to the access road to the new bypass, which would be another 2 minutes saved for someone who won't be exiting to Nelsonville, but rather driving straight through from Athens. However, for someone who may have got stuck at several red lights in Nelsonville from one end to the other, the time savings could be more. Also, for peak traffic times or the times their were accidents holding up traffic, the time savings would be more.

[noreply66]

This should help out when Ohio U lets out. I remember before they put the 4 lane around Logan it would be bumper to bumper traffic when the college would let out for break and the beginning of summer. Hope it doesn't hurt Nelsonville like it has Logan. Right now Nelsonvile has more going for it than Logan did.

[mustang_lvr]

i go to Parkersburg here and there so that will be saving close to one half hour round trip

[C-Bolt]

[quote="noreply66"] Hope it doesn't hurt Nelsonville like it has Logan.

Exactly I hope the locals and hocking college kids can keep places like taco bell and sonic open,whenever I travel down that way one of them places is a must for me :122249

[dazed&confused]

When I have to go through there, it is just a straight trip. And it aggravates me to have to wait in traffic when Nelsonville is not my destination. I'm heading to Athens, where my son goes to school or points south and I don't need to spend 20-25 minutes in traffic.

[noreply66]

This Bypass and the one around Lancaster is out in the boonies. The one past Logan is just on the outside of town and in one place it splits Logan from South Logan.

[Steely Dan]

Ever hear the old saying "Stop and smell the roses"? I've heard some griping, and read some really ignorant comments in the local media, about this first leg of the bypass that opened in November. Let me remind everyone, this first leg now eliminates the most dangerous stretch of the drive on Rt. 33 between Athens and Columbus. I know that there have been at least two multiple fatality accidents on this old stretch of road in the last 10 years, prior to the bypass section opening. That, first and foremost is a plus. I've heard a lot of griping about the roundabout, as people don't understand how it works. It isn't complicated, yield to oncoming traffic from your left. No traffic, GO. All of the cottonheads in Florida figured these things out years ago, so if they can do it, anyone in SE Ohio should be able to figure it out as well. Not complicated at all.

Lastly, if you drive the bypass section that is open, if it is daylight and you are a passenger in the car, take the time to look around. This section of the bypass goes directly through Wayne National Forest, and you get to see mature, hardwood trees that are very tall, and have not been harvested by the loggers. The foliage was absolutely breathtaking in the fall. Take a look around at what you are driving through and over (as a good section of the road is above the forest), take it all in, and enjoy it.

I, for one, can't wait until this bypass is finished. I feel that it will be a spectacular view, save time, and create an economic boon to the northwest section of Athens county. Oh, and increase safety as well, "out in the boonies"

[dazed&confused]

You know I never thought of it like that but, yea, there is some great scenery in that short stretch. But mostly, I'm looking forward to zipping around the bottleneck.

[mustang_lvr]

Ever hear the old saying "Stop and smell the roses"? I've heard some griping, and read some really ignorant comments in the local media, about this first leg of the bypass that opened in November. Let me remind everyone, this first leg now eliminates the most dangerous stretch of the drive on Rt. 33 between Athens and Columbus. I know that there have been at least two multiple fatality accidents on this old stretch of road in the last 10 years, prior to the bypass section opening. That, first and foremost is a plus. I've heard a lot of griping about the roundabout, as people don't understand how it works. It isn't complicated, yield to oncoming traffic from your left. No traffic, GO. All of the cottonheads in Florida figured these things out years ago, so if they can do it, anyone in SE Ohio should be able to figure it out as well. Not complicated at all.

Lastly, if you drive the bypass section that is open, if it is daylight and you are a passenger in the car, take the time to look around. This section of the bypass goes directly through Wayne National Forest, and you get to see mature, hardwood trees that are very tall, and have not been harvested by the loggers. The foliage was absolutely breathtaking in the fall. Take a look around at what you are driving through and over (as a good section of the road is above the forest), take it all in, and enjoy it.

I, for one, can't wait until this bypass is finished. I feel that it will be a spectacular view, save time, and create an economic boon to the northwest section of Athens county. Oh, and increase safety as well, "out in the boonies"

Been several wrecks between where the 4-lane use to end and into Nelsonville coming from Logan. Coming from Nelsonville the curve right before the landfill is a blind spot for trucks coming out of the landfill. Been two bad wrecks in the Diamond area where someone has went left of center and not knowing why. The two lane from Diamond into Nelsonville is nasty to drive at night and even worst when it is raining.

[orange-n-brown 365]

Cannot wait to have my end of the by-pass done!! I can be on 33 in less than 5 minutes and zip on down to Athens or Logan and not have to travel through town unless I want to!! woo hoo!!! No more traveling Mason City Hill in the winter!!!