PEDRO — Although the structures were pulled out within a day at Ellisonville Park, work still continues as part of the demolition of the one-time primitive rest area on State Route 93 that has cost $41,000 to date.

“We still have to do the seeding there,” said Kathleen Fuller, spokesperson for Ohio Department of Transportation District 9. “They have been doing some final cleanup and touch up work.”

ODOT established the park, comprised of a shelter house and restrooms, in 1939, and has maintained it ever since. But over the past two years, ODOT has been shutting down these types of rest areas, saying they have outlived their usefulness and are too expensive to maintain and upgrade.

The original date for demolition was Oct. 29, but that was postponed to December following public outcry protesting the loss of the park.

However, since no other organization or government entity stepped up to take over running Ellisonville, ODOT moved forward with the dismantling.

“When we go in initially and take out the structures, that can go pretty quickly,” Fuller said. “To restore the property to its natural state depends on the property.”

Winter weather has slowed the final stages of the project with crews working sporadically.

“If you do it in the summertime, it goes quickly,” Fuller said. “We are basically removing the structures and planting grass seed. Making it as close to what the original environment would have been, which would be nothing there, no roadway access.”

Work is being done by crews from the Lawrence County Garage and District 9.