Blaine Hill Bridge closing due to safety concerns

NEW PHILADELPHIA - This afternoon, the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) will completely close the Blaine Hill Bridge west of Bridgeport on US 40 between County Road 10 and County Road 214 in Belmont County. The closure is due in part to the condition of the bridge and drivers continuing to ignore the closure of westbound traffic on the bridge.

Built in 1932, the Blaine Hill Bridge had been inspected on a three-month cycle since August 23, 2023. On July 3, 2024, ODOT started monthly inspections and changed the traffic pattern on the bridge to include only one lane of eastbound traffic. Westbound traffic was forced to detour via I-70.

"Unfortunately, the condition of the bridge continues to deteriorate, and as more and more drivers were ignoring the westbound closure, we felt it was no longer safe to allow traffic to use the bridge," said ODOT District 11 Deputy Director Tom Corey. "We know this is an inconvenience to those who live and work nearby, but we will never compromise safety for convenience."

The official ODOT detour for westbound traffic is I-70 from Marion Street to the U.S. 40 National Road/County Road 214 exit (Exit 220) to return to U.S. 40. Eastbound traffic will enter I-70 from County Road 214 to the US 250/State Route 7 exit (Exit 225) to Marion Street to return to U.S. 40.

ODOT is actively working on plans for both a temporary and long-term fix. A timeline for those repairs is not available at this time.