Commissioners approve legislation for SR-7 project to improve highway safety
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MARIETTA - Washington County Commissioners approved ODOT preliminary legislation for an Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) project along SR-7 on Thursday morning.
INFRA awarded $8.7 million to the project in 2024 and was envisioned following several accidents between the C-10 and C-3 intersections with SR-7, according to Roger Wright in a letter to Commissioners.
In the letter Wright states, following the INFRA award, ODOT studied the corridor and engaged with the stakeholders along the state route proposing multiple traffic improvements. He said a large amount of heavy commercial truck traffic utilizes this roadway and typically enter and exit from opposite sides of the road, requiring lane changes within a small corridor.
The project envisioned improving logistics and removing railroad conflicts, he said.
The legislation would allow ODOT to move forward with the bidding and construction of the project as a portion of the project encompasses Blue Knob Road which is a county road.
According to the project description, it will construct access management and safety improvements over SR-7 to the river port on the Ohio River. This includes roadway widening, profile improvement and resurfacing on CR-10 and Blue Knob Road.
In other business, commissioners approved eight additional appropriation requests, a Then and Now for the building department and two Road Use Maintenance Agreements (RUMA) with AEP Ohio and the engineer's office.
The additional appropriations were; two for the Common Pleas Court $10,000 for contract services, $12,000 for maintenance, Auditor real estate assessment fund for $5,617.71, Board of Developmental Disabilities for $204,311 for the purchase of a second residential home, Behavioral Health Levy fund for $500,000 for contract services, Phase two of the Capital Pump Station fund for $562,674 for capital outlay, sewer fund for $10,000 for electric and $5,000 for operating supplies, and Children Services fund for $577,456.69 for contract services.
The Then and Now is for Victory Toyota for $38,161 for the purchase of a new vehicle for the building department.
The two RUMA's approved are for the Patten Mills AEP transmission line and Watertown AEP 138kV transmission line projects. The Watertown transmission line project would build approximately 4.1 miles of greenfield 138kV transmission line from the AEP West Watertown Station to Washington Electric Cooperative’s Watertown Station. The RUMA would establish that any damages to the roads during the project, would be the responsibility of AEP.
Sophie Wheeler can be reached at swheeler@newsandsentinel.com.