PAINESVILLE, Ohio — Here in the Painesville community, you'll notice several signs letting drivers know U.S. Route 20 will be closed for the next four months.
"We are replacing the bridge driving surface or the bridge deck. And that bridge closed this past Tuesday, and it will be closed through late October," said Ohio Department of Transportation Public Information Officer Brent Kovacs.
Still, with a big road closure sign posted one mile ahead at the intersection of North State Street and Erie Street, we watched multiple cars zoom down Erie Street, only to have to turn right back around.
"We just want to remind all motorists of our detour from State Route 283 to Route 2 to State Route 535, and that is the way that we're going to have it signed. But you're also welcome to take a look at a map and find your own detour," said Kovacs.
Several neighbors living near U.S. Route 20 told News 5 off-camera the bridge's closure would be a pain since they frequently cross it to come to the shopping center.
But resident Rick Herendeen says he's okay with finding another way to visit his family, who lives just across U.S. Route 20 until work is completed.
"I feel sorry for the big trucks that are coming down here, and they don't notice it because there's not a lot of places to turn around for the big rigs," said Rick Herendeen.
Tom Goll, who also frequents the bridge, says he'll do the same and commends city leaders for trying to fix the bridge before things got worse.
"It's a bit inconvenient for some people for some people, but overall, it's for the better. Get it repaired. It needs the repair pretty bad," said resident Tom Goll.
The bridge deck replacement is estimated to cost more than $2 million and should be finished this fall.
Until then, Kovacs encourages people to visit ODOT's Lake County Traffic Advisory for information relating to this project.
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