CELINA - Mercer County Engineer Jim Wiechart said his office plans to widen a massive amount of pavement this year in a never-ending bid to enhance the safety and drivability of county roads.

In his 2025 annual report, Wiechart also provided a recap of his office's work in 2025, which included bridge and culvert replacements, the resurfacing of 13.4 miles of roads and the chip-and-seal resurfacing of nearly 40 miles of road.

ATHENS, Ohio — A statewide program is working to reduce the amount of salt used on Ohio roadway by local, county and state governments — with the goal of limiting the impact of salt on the local environment.

H2Ohio is an initiative that was created by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine to fund programs aiming to restore and maintain Ohio’s aquatic ecosystems, another being the H2Ohio Chloride Reduction Grant. The program aims to reduce the amount of sodium and chloride in Ohio waterways by upgrading salt storage facilities and salt trucks.

Kent drivers, beware: those barrels lining the south side of the Stow Street bridge will likely remain in place for at least another year.

2028: that’s when the county hopes to start replacing the entire structure, a project slated at this point to cost some $4 million. No word on when construction is set to start, but the bridge will be completely closed for up to three months from the big day.

The barrels first appeared in March 2022, when a routine inspection revealed small rust spots just under the bridge’s railing, said Mike Collins, project manager with the county engineer’s office. The “localized deterioration,” as he termed it, prompted the county to investigate what fix, if any, was needed.

BELMONT COUNTY, Ohio — Last year was a busy one for the Belmont County Engineer's Office.

In the fourth quarter of 2025, it finished a few maintenance projects and even opened a bid for a new salt barn, which will be located just behind me at the Belmont County Engineer's garage.”

In addition to the salt barn bid opening, 2025 also ended with the engineer's office completing some slip repairs along Mount Victory Road (CR 56) and one on CR 42.

Finally, the office received OPWC Emergency Management funds for a wall failure on CR 20, and County Engineer Terry Lively said they are working on that design now.

As winter weather approaches and crews prepare to keep roads safe, one Ohio Hi-Point Career Center (OHP) student is already behind the wheel, gaining real-world experience through a work-based learning partnership with the Champaign County Engineer’s Office.

Jack Gaus, an OHP Heavy Equipment senior from Mechanicsburg, is participating in the district’s 1x1 work-based learning program, alternating weeks between full-time coursework at Ohio Hi-Point and full-time employment with the Champaign County Engineer’s Office. Through this opportunity, Jack is making significant progress toward earning his Class A commercial driver’s license (CDL) while gaining hands-on experience in highway maintenance operations.