Adams County residents invited to comment on SR 41 bridge replacement project

Drivers on State Route 41, school bus routes, farm traffic and emergency crews in Sprigg Township could all feel the strain if ODOT’s bridge replacement moves ahead as planned, with the state posting a 15.5-mile detour that would send traffic onto SR 136 and U.S. 52 while the crossing is closed.

The Ohio Department of Transportation is asking Adams County residents to weigh in on project ADA-41-5.79, a bridge replacement on SR 41 over Three Mile Creek between Brown Hill Road and Cabin Creek Road. Written comments are due by May 8, 2026, to Brandon Beck, ODOT District 9 Environmental Supervisor, at 650 Eastern Avenue in Chillicothe. The comment window is part of ODOT’s public involvement process and typically lasts 30 days.

ODOT lists the work as a bridge preservation project with an estimated construction cost of $680,000. The bridge is still marked proposed, in development and pre-construction, with construction expected to begin in Spring 2028 and wrap up in Summer 2028. The environmental commitment date is July 31, 2026, and the expected award date is October 1, 2027.

For families and businesses along the corridor, the biggest issue is access. ODOT says no homes or businesses will be removed, but SR 41 will be closed for the duration of the project, forcing everyone from daily commuters to farm operators to use the posted detour. In a rural county where road connections can determine how fast a student gets to school or an ambulance reaches a call, a bridge closure on a main route can ripple well beyond the immediate construction site.

The project will require about 0.119 acres of temporary right-of-way along the stream channel, another sign that the work will reach beyond the pavement itself. ODOT says the replacement is being funded 80% federally and 20% by the state, with the Federal Highway Administration sharing in the cost through the agency’s standard funding structure for such projects.

This is not the first time ODOT District 9 has asked Adams County residents to weigh in on SR 41 work. The corridor has already seen public-comment periods for a 2019 bridge replacement and a 2024 slide repair, underscoring how often the roadway has needed state attention. For now, the agency’s next major decision point comes before May 8, when local concerns can still shape how the bridge is replaced and how the closure is handled.