Pair expected to be complete by end of 2024

COAL GROVE — It will be déjà vu for drivers in Lawrence County this year.

Just months after the construction ended on two roundabout at the intersection of U.S. 52 and State Route 93 in Ironton, construction is now set to begin on a similar pair in Coal Grove.

County Engineer Patrick Leighty said the project is still in the design phase and should be starting in the next few months.

The two roundabouts on State Route 243/Marion Pike, on both sides of the U.S. 52 interchange, differ from the two built in Ironton, as they are not being helmed by the Ohio Department of Transportation.

They will be overseen by the Lawrence County Engineer’s Office and will use federal funds toward their completion, coming through the KYOVA Interstate Planning Commission.

Leighty said the project is 10 years in the making and that several options were looked at for the intersection, known for traffic congestion, and it was decided, following traffic studies, that roundabouts were the best solution.

Coal Grove Mayor Andy Holmes said that Leighty assured him that his office will  work to ensure that traffic remains flowing in the area through the completion of the project.

Holmes said, during construction, that drivers can also take alternate routes, such as the Ohio University Southern/State Route 141 interchange and the State Route 93 interchange to enter the village by way of Ironton.

Leighty said construction on the projects should be completed by the end of the year.