Houses along the path of the new Chesapeake, Ohio bypass are now targeted for demolition.
Houses along the path of the new Chesapeake, Ohio bypass are now targeted for demolition.
Originally, the US Route 52 expressway, opened around 1962, terminated at a temporary ramp just east of the County Route 124 intersection in Chesapeake. 1 At that time, the Ohio State Highway Department planned to provide a direct connection to the Sixth Street Bridge, which crossed the Ohio River, linking Chesapeake with Huntington, West Virginia. However, it was not until 1986 that the new expressway connection was completed.
This new connector extended the expressway further east, bypassing Chesapeake and Proctorville entirely. Despite the plans, funding was not secured until 2006. 2 At that time, Phase I of a 4.7-mile, two-lane limited-access highway was completed from State Route 775 in Proctorville to State Route 7 in Rome Township. This phase also included a connection between the East Huntington Bridge and State Route 775.
Phase II, scheduled to begin in January 2025, will connect State Route 7 in Chesapeake to State Route 775 in Proctorville with a five-mile, two-lane roadway. 2 This phase will include truck climbing lanes and a full interchange at State Route 775. Phase II is expected to open in 2028. Future plans involve a complete four-lane build-out of the Phase I and Phase II bypass as traffic volumes increase.
Sources
- “Construction Plans Are Being Prepared.” Daily Advocate, 14 Aug. 1962, p. 8.
- “Chesapeake Bypass Phase 2.” Ohio Department of Transportation.
1 Comment
Add Yours →Criminal, there is no reason to continue to build highways in this day and age. Follow the money, it is someone trying to create wealth at a another location at the expense of this bucolic area.