By JOLENE CRAIG
BELPRE — Growth and development are expected when Corridor D is finished and the bridge from Washington Bottom to Porterfield over the Ohio River opens.
"There is some land available in that area and I think we will see more development," said Mike Jacoby, director of the Southeastern Ohio Port Authority. "It’s hard to predict when or where it will happen, but I am sure it will."
The bridge is the final stage of the Corridor D project connecting the western terminus of Route 50 east of Parkersburg with Route 50 in Washington County. The connector has been discussed for 40 years.
In April, a report from the Ohio Department of Transportation stated work is being delayed on Corridor D because of bad weather and the bridge is not expected to be completed until the first week of November, about a month late.
Growth in the area is anticipated because of the number of vehicles the bridge is expected to re-route, Jacoby said.
"The last count of vehicles where Ohio 7 meets with U.S. 50 and Ohio 32 saw more than 18,000 cars per day," Jacoby said. "A large number of those cars will be using the new bypass."
Belpre Mayor Bill McAfee said Belpre will grow and change, especially near the bridge.
"Even though the (bypass) is in Porterfield, Belpre will benefit," McAfee said.
Jacoby said there is available land in the area of the bridge ramp and expects it to be a good area for traffic to stop for commercial developments.
"It would be a great traveler’s stopping point as well as a good place for commercial and wholesale business where it almost pays to be near a major roadway," Jacoby said.
He said he has heard rumors of certain businesses looking at the area, but there is nothing set in stone.
McAfee said Corridor D has already brought development to Belpre in the form of HealthBridge and he expects there to be more.
"There is a possibility of a shopping center out by the medical facility and other businesses out toward that area of town," McAfee said. "We will just have to wait and see."
McAfee said he thinks of the Mid-Ohio Valley, Parkersburg and Belpre, as one large community.
"We may have different city governments, but with as close as all of these communities are, they are all tied together and where one sees growth, so will another," McAfee said.
While developments and businesses are a plus, McAfee said Belpre is also looking forward to healthier tourism.
"It will give more people access to Belpre, allowing not only our town, but our tourism to grow," he said. "With Corridor D, Belpre is on its way to being a well-considered town for development."
As for the possibility of expansion and growth in Washington County as part of Corridor D, Jacoby said it is something to look forward to.
"It’s going to be exciting to see that area develop," Jacoby said.
"There is a lot of under utilized land with a lot of potential there."
Posted with permission from The Parkersburg News & Sentinel
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