From staff reports

PROCTORVILLE-

The much-anticipated Phase 1A of the Chesapeake Bypass has opened to traffic, and motorists traveling through Proctorville now have a new route that will serve to mitigate traffic and alleviate congestion along State Route 7 in Rome and Union townships.

"We are pleased that the new State Route 607 is open to traffic," ODOT District 9 Deputy Director John F. Hagen said. "The completion of this project is a significant step toward building Phase 1 of the bypass, and the new roadway should serve the traveling public well."

In order to complete the entire Phase 1A project, however, the on-off ramp for the 31st Street/East Huntington Bridge at Proctorville has been closed so that the contractors can reconstruct the ramp and complete the tie-ins to the new State Route 607.

In the following week, crews from Ahern and Associates of South Charleston, W.Va., will be completing the finalreconstruction at the ramp.

While the ramp is closed, motorists exiting into downtown Proctorville will be diverted onto the new state Route 607. They will then follow the road to state Route 775, where they will detour south into the village on Walnut Street. Eastbound state Route 7 motorists wanting to travel onto the East Huntington Bridge will be detoured from State Route 7 to State Route 775 north to the bypass, and those traveling from westbound State Route 7 will be detoured via Irene Road and the newly constructed Irene Road East.

The new roadway, which extends state Route 607 from the 31st Street/East Huntington Bridge to the newly constructed Irene Road East and connects with State Route 775, will be used to divert traffic during the State Route 7 widening project that is under way in Proctorville.

Meanwhile, work began last week on a storm system installation that is part of the State Route 7 widening project. ODOT District 9 spokeswoman Kathleen Fuller said preliminary work on the widening effort began in February. That project is expected to be completed in August of this year.

Crews from TAB Construction are working during the evening and overnight hours, Sunday through Thursday, between approximately 8 p.m. and 4:30 a.m.

The

project includes the construction of a center turn lane, curbs and gutters along with a storm sewer system and traffic control devices.