Hudson Avenue reopens; access to Ohio 16 West closes
- Hudson Avenue will reopen Monday to two-way traffic, reconnecting the downtown and North End.
- Mount Vernon Road closes from St. Clair Street to Ohio 16, and the service road closes, on Monday.
NEWARK - The Ohio 13 construction project moves to a new phase Monday when Hudson Avenue reopens to two-way traffic while Mount Vernon Road and access to Ohio 16 West close.
The downtown and the North End will be reconnected with a two-way Hudson Avenue, from Locust Street to St. Clair Street. Hudson Avenue had been a one-way street, heading north.
Hudson Avenue has been closed since July 5 from Locust Street to the Ohio 16 on/off ramps to allow for installation of water and sewer lines and replacement of concrete pavements.
Dan Ghiloni, owner of Ghiloni Electric Service, at 219 Hudson Ave., was thrilled with the news about Hudson Avenue.
“I’ve been waiting for it to go two-way for 20 years,” Ghiloni said.
Ashley Carlile, manager of Debra’s Pizza, at 318 Hudson Ave., also was happy about the change.
“I’m pretty excited it’ll be both ways,” Carlile said. “It’s been a horrible inconvenience for the drivers. The poor drivers, it takes them twice as long to get anywhere.”
Businesses and North End residents will gain access to downtown on Hudson Avenue, but will lose access to Ohio 16 West on Monday. Mount Vernon Road will close from St. Clair Street to Ohio 16, and the service road between Hudson Avenue and Mount Vernon Road also closes.
“That’ll be an inconvenience for us, it definitely will,” Carlile said. “Losing the highway will be a negative.”
Ghiloni was philosophical, looking ahead to when the entire project is completed in November 2017, when a widened Mount Vernon Road Bridge over Ohio 16 will allow Ohio 13 traffic to continue straight down Fourth Street to Mount Vernon Road, avoiding turns onto Church Street, Hudson Avenue and St. Clair Street.
“I’m willing to live with it because it will be better for the future,” Ghiloni said. “It’s an inconvenience. It means I’ll have to go to West Main Street and loop around. I’ll be happy to see the truck traffic off my street onto Mount Vernon Road (when it’s completed).”
Mount Vernon Road will remain closed until November, but the service road and westbound ramp will be open in about four to six weeks, Newark City Engineer Brian Morehead said.
Hudson Avenue was not expected to reopen until November, but contractor George Igel Construction moved quickly, Morehead said.
“We made some changes in the plan and in the phasing of the project,” Morehead said. “Igel moved more efficiently than the original plan. It was going better than expected in getting the sewer work in. Igel originally planned for a worst-case scenario.”
Traffic signals will be located on Hudson Avenue at Locust Street and at the Ohio 16 westbound exit ramp, Morehead said.
In the beginning of 2017, Hudson Avenue will close again for work from the Ohio 16 ramp to St. Clair Street, and St. Clair Street will close from Hudson Avenue to Mount Vernon Road. In March, the widening begins on the Mount Vernon Road Bridge over Ohio 16.
kmallett@newarkadvocate.com
740-328-8545
Twitter: @kmallett1958
