U.S. Route 50 in McArthur to close for Southern Ohio Forest Rally

U.S. Route 50 will close in McArthur on Saturday, June 13, cutting off one of Vinton County’s busiest east-west corridors for the Southern Ohio Forest Rally. The shutdown will hit drivers, deliveries and emergency access around the county seat, where traffic will have to shift around race activity, spectator movement and local detours.

The closure comes during the rally’s June 11-13 run and on a weekend when McArthur usually depends on Route 50 as a main travel line through town. The rally’s website says spectating is free, and the American Rally Association lists the event as an ARA National and East Regional rally with 123 competition miles based near Chillicothe, Ohio.

The impact will extend beyond the pavement in McArthur. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Forestry said it will temporarily close some state forest roads and corresponding horse, or bridle, trails during the rally, limiting access in nearby public lands while the event is underway.

For local businesses, the weekend brings both strain and opportunity. The road closure can complicate routine travel, pickups and deliveries for shops and restaurants in McArthur, but the rally also brings visitors into Southern Ohio and can send spending toward fuel, food and lodging in the region. In a rural county, that kind of event often means a short-term tradeoff: less convenient access for residents, but more outside attention on the town.

The Southern Ohio Forest Rally has become a fixture on the regional motorsports calendar. The American Rally Association said in 2024 that the event joined the national calendar for the fifth time after growing out of a regional rally formed in 2017. The rally itself also points to Ohio’s rallying heritage, giving the event a deeper local history than a single weekend of racing.

This is not the first time McArthur has had to adjust around the rally. The Telegram has reported previously that U.S. 50 in the village was closed for the Southern Ohio Forest Rally and traffic was detoured onto village streets, a pattern that should help residents and businesses prepare for this year’s closure.