CHILLICOTHE, Ohio — The Ohio Department of Transportation will be placing message boards along a Ross County highway.
According to ODOT, “In an effort to increase safety during these peak traffic conditions, the Ohio Department of Transportation has placed digital message boards along Route 35 approaching the North Bridge Street interchange to alert travelers to potential backups.”
ODOT reports that traffic on the Route 35 eastbound off-ramp can back up to the point of affecting surrounding traffic.
Officials said ODOT has taken steps to improve safety by adding signage and encouraging traffic on Route 35 to stay in the left lane.
Additionally, ODOT said a short-term project to reduce congestion in the area is behind schedule due to the ongoing supply chain and material shortages.
“Unfortunately, this is a location where we’ve seen crashes before due to heavy traffic. We need drivers to be extra alert at this location, especially at this time of year, “said ODOT District 9 Deputy Director Mike Dombrowski.
The message boards, ODOT said, will alert motorists to the potential for stopped traffic approaching Bridge Street. The signs, officials said, will remain in place until January.