Freshman year means experiencing all of the local attractions that Athens County has to offer — and now, it also means bypassing some of them.
In October, the 8.5-mile Nelsonville bypass on US 33 opened to drivers after years of anticipation. It was, according to a previous
Post
article, was the largest road project in Southeast Ohio history.
The bypass means that people, specifically Ohio University students, can cut a significant amount of time off of their commute. Generations of OU students have commiserated over white-knuckle traffic along the small town’s main drag.
Now state officials estimate that the bypass shortens travel times to and from Athens by as much as 30 minutes.
The $200 million project was first proposed in the 1960s; however, the project hit speed bumps because of construction, funding and environmental concerns over the past five decades.
The bypass was funded partially by President Barack Obama’s $800 billion economic stimulus package. State officials have said that without that federal money, ground wouldn’t have been broken on the final phase until 2015.
Even though the bypass has made “travel safer and faster,” according to David Rose, an Ohio Department of Transportation spokesman, Nelsonville residents have expressed mixed emotions on the bypass.
While many celebrate the long-awaited opening — such as the students joining the Bobcat family — others point out that it brings a greater chance of nearby businesses being overlooked, and a few of them closed even before the bypass opened.
Nelsonville Sonic Owner Jim Herpy said last school year that even though Nelsonville offers tourist attractions such as Stuart’s Opera House and the Hocking Valley Scenic Railway, most drivers will not be willing to turn around.
“Let’s face it, people are in a hurry and want to get from point A to point B,” he said in a previous
Post
article. “If you don’t have to go through Nelsonville, you’re not going to go through Nelsonville.”
kf398711@ohiou.edu
@KellyPFisher
