Nighttime on busy North Bridge Street in Chillicothe
Prepare for an unleashing of more chaos on North Bridge Street starting on March 22nd. The second season of work on the congested commercial district will close all southbound lanes under the freeway, as well as the eastbound US 35 onramp from SR 104 / High Street.
Chillicothe Council was briefed on this on February 23rd, 2026, by the mayor’s Chief of Staff Clint Boggs, in lieu of Mayor Luke Feeney. (Hear Boggs in his own words below.) ODOT also has webpages on the project, and the Scioto Post has the announcement of the new construction season.
But our recent rains have delayed this. ODOT has announced that “the major traffic impacts for the SR 159 (Bridge Street) project, originally planned to begin March 9, have been postponed to March 22 due to weather.”
Orange barrels had already sprouted at the end of February, alongside grading, along southbound Bridge Street.
If you think last season’s traffic snarl was painful, this season will be more. The Ohio Department of Transportation says that they need to completely close half of the street at the US 35 interchange to completely replace more than a foot of concrete pavement.
So, southbound Bridge Street will be forced onto the onramp there – and North Plaza Boulevard will also be cut off, but accessible via last season’s new Marietta Road connector.
To get around the cutoff, recommended “Travel Scenarios” (under the tab in ODOT’s project page / overview) have drivers taking the SR 159 interchange beyond the north end of Bridge Street, to the US 23 bypass, and to the interchange at the east end of Main Street – or via the SR 207 Connector and SR 104.
Remaining open are the southbound Bridge Street onramp to westbound US 35, and northbound Bridge Street onramps to westbound and eastbound US 35.
Although northbound Bridge Street will remain open under US 35, getting there from downtown Chillicothe is complicated by Mulberry and Riverside streets being closed up to Hickory Street, for Yoctangee Park renovations. UPDATE: Those streets are hoped to reopen in April.
(However, on a historical note, residents may remember when the entire street was cut off when the Bridge Street bridge was rebuilt in 2002.)
ODOT has said the current $19.29M project will again pause during the holidays and winter, with a half-season of lighter work planned in 2027 to finish loose ends.
ODOT has a news page on the 2026 phase. Their project overview page has much more information, especially if you click on its tabs under “Project Status.” From that page:
"The southbound lanes, SR 104/High Street on-ramp to eastbound U.S. 35, and North Plaza Blvd are expected to remain closed for approximately 8–9 months…
"During this construction season, 2-3 northbound lanes will remain open through the U.S. 35 interchange. However, all southbound lanes from North Plaza Blvd to Stewart Road will be closed. To remove 13 inches of concrete pavement in the interchange area and replace it with new concrete, we must close one side of the roadway at a time. All southbound traffic will be diverted onto the ramp to westbound U.S. 35.
"Additionally, the SR 104/High Street on-ramp to eastbound U.S. 35 will be closed. This is because the eastbound U.S. 35 exit ramp to Bridge Street will be restricted during construction. Our traffic modeling indicates that this could cause congestion to backup onto U.S. 35. The short distance between the Bridge Street and SR 104 ramps increases the risk of crashes. To help prevent this, through traffic on eastbound U.S. 35 should stay in the left lane when traveling through the High Street and Bridge Street interchanges.
"North Plaza Blvd will also be closed, and traffic will need to use the new Marietta Road connector…
"Just like last year, we plan to halt construction ahead of the busy holiday season, just before Thanksgiving…"
Part of the sidewalk / bike lane has been graded up to the southbound Bridge Street onramp to westbound US 35, but many more pedestrian amenities will be added and finished on both sides of the street.
Learn more from the state highway department:
- “OhGo” Real-time traffic and construction website an app. It also has access to traffic camera video, including about a dozen in the Chillicothe area.
- Facebook page for ODOT District 9 (Ross and counties west).
Find the article on the Scioto Post.
Kevin Coleman covers local government and culture for the Scioto Post and iHeart Media Southern Ohio. For stories or questions, contact Kevin Coleman or the iHeart Southern Ohio Newsroom.
Boggs summarizes what to expect in this construction season.