After being closed since August, Scherer Hollow Road is finally open again.
Scioto County Engineer Darren LeBrun announced the reopening following completion of a $2.8 million improvement project on the narrow hillside route.
County commissioners joined Portsmouth City Manager Sam Sutherland, who lives nearby, for a ribbon-cutting marking the reopening.
The work included construction of a 900-foot retaining wall, widening the roadway, adding paved shoulders, upgrading guardrails and installing high-friction surface treatment and other safety improvements.
About $1.9 million of the $2.8 million contract was covered through County Engineers Association of Ohio and Ohio Department of Transportation grant funding.
The road had been scheduled to close beginning August 3 for approximately 180 days while crews completed the project.
For residents who use Portsmouth’s network of narrow hillside roads and hollows to reach the city, extended closures can mean significant detours onto larger roads.
City, County Partnership
Although Scherer Hollow was a county project, LeBrun said it also reflects a larger partnership between Scioto County and the City of Portsmouth on roadway improvements.
Recent cooperative projects include paving currently underway inside the city.
According to LeBrun, that partnership has helped Portsmouth secure more than $1.5 million in infrastructure grant funding.
“Thank you for your patience while the work was completed,” LeBrun said in announcing the reopening. “We’re glad to have the road open!”
For drivers who have spent the last several months finding another way around, that last part may be the most welcome news of all.