State and local leaders, Kokosing Construction representatives and others joined the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) on June 16 to officially mark the start of construction on a U.S. 33 expansion project in Athens and Meigs Counties.

A total of 25 mi. of U.S. 33 in Athens and Meigs Counties will be converted from a two-lane highway to a four-lane, divided highway. The $274 million project was awarded to Kokosing Construction.

Upgrade of U.S. 33 between Athens and Darwin include:

• converting 10.78 mi. of the 2-lane highway to a 4-lane highway;

• converting the following intersections with U.S. 33 to interchanges: Pleasant Hill, Pleasanton Road, Rainbow Lake Road and State Route 681;

• building seven new bridges; and

• resurfacing the existing U.S. 33 roadway.

Upgrade of U.S. 33 between SR 7 and Ravenswood include:

• converting 14.19 mi. of the 2-lane highway to a 4-lane divided highway;

• adding left turn lanes to at-grade intersections throughout the corridor;

• building three new bridges;

• minor drainage improvements; and

• resurfacing the existing U.S. 33 roadway.

Project Significance

These are the last remaining two-lane segments of U.S. 33 between Columbus and the Ohio River. U.S. 33 is the direct route between central Ohio and the southeastern United States via a connection with Interstate 77. It is an emerging freight corridor, with trucks making up an increasing percentage of the average daily traffic.

"Road construction projects of this magnitude don't happen very often in southeastern Ohio, so we're excited to get started," said Rich Oster, ODOT District 10 deputy director. "With this $274 million investment, we are improving safety and efficiency and ensuring the U.S. 33 corridor through Athens and Meigs Counties is positioned for the future."

Construction is estimated to end in 2028.

For more information, visit transportation.ohio.gov/projects/mega-projects/mega-projects/33-expansion.