CHESAPEAKE — On Friday, Ohio House Speaker Jason Stephens, R-Kitts Hill, announced that the Chesapeake Bypass on State Route 7 would be getting $126 million more in funding.

“Investing these dollars shows our commitment to the communities in the area,” Stephens said. “The funding will spark economic development and job creation for years to come.”

The funding was approved at the Transportation Review Advisory Council (TRAC) via the Connect4Ohio initiative, which Stephens championed earlier this year in the state budget.  

The goal of Connect4Ohio is to ensure everyday Ohioans have roads that are readily accessible for direct commutes to jobs.

In April, Stephens announced that TRAC had approved $31.4 million for the project.

Construction for this project is scheduled to begin in summer 2024 and should be completed in 2026. 

The bypass project has been going on for 15 years.

Phase one was 4.7-mile-long two-lane limited access highway from State Route 775 in Proctorville to State Route 7 near Fairland East Elementary School and a connection between East Huntington Bridge and State Route 775 in Proctorville. The road opened in 2006.

The second phase is finishing the western half of the Chesapeake Bypass will include building a new five-mile-long two-lane roadway from State Route 527 interchange to State Route 775 and includes earthwork construction and drainage work. Project has 10 bridges and retaining walls.

Work is scheduled to in two parts:

• Phase 2A: This phase includes tree clearing, and construction of earthwork and drainage. This phase is scheduled to begin in 2024 and end in 2026, dependent on funding.

• Phase 2B: This phase includes construction of bridges and roadway pavement. This phase will be constructed a few years later to allow for soil settlement if construction funding becomes available.

The construction of the remaining portions of the four-lane Chesapeake Bypass will occur in phases once funding is secured and includes

• Phase 3: This phase includes construction of the remaining westbound lanes and completion of the four-lane highway between the State Route 527/ State Route 7 interchange in Chesapeake east to State Route 775 in Proctorville.

• Phase 4: This phase includes construction of two westbound lanes for the length of Phase 1B between State Route 775 in Proctorville east to existing State Route 7 in Rome Township.