PROCTORVILLE - Contractors for the Ohio Department of Transportation will impose lane restrictions on state routes 7 and 775 in Lawrence County in conjunction with the State Route 7 widening project that is under way at Proctorville.

Tuesday and Wednesday crews from TAB Construction will close State Route 7 to westbound traffic between state Route 775 and the Judge Ater Bridge at Paddy Creek. The lane restriction will be in place during daytime, business hours, from approximately 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days. The route will be open to one lane of eastbound traffic only, and motorists traveling westbound will be detoured by way of state Route 775 and Irene Road.

Then, on Monday, June 28, contractors will close State Route 775 at Proctorville and Irene Road East in order to complete reconstruction of the intersection of state routes 775 and 7. During this phase of the project, the contractors will be installing a drainage system, constructing curbs and placing concrete where the routes meet at Walnut Street in downtown Proctorville.

The closure is scheduled to be in place for two weeks, and while the route is closed, motorists will be detoured by way of state Route 607 and Irene Road.

The $4.46 million widening project includes the addition of a center, left-turn lane and the installation of a new storm system, curb, gutter, sidewalk and traffic control devices for the widening of 1.33 miles of State Route 7. Currently, the scheduled completion date for the project is Sept. 4, 2004.