Road Construction Slated for Downtown Dresden

DRESDEN, Ohio – As nature blossoms into spring, also comes the sprouting of ODOT’s orange barrels. 

Ohio Department of Transportation District 5 Public Information Officer Chas Cosgrave talked about a road construction project that will affect downtown Dresden.

“So this construction season we’ll be kicking off the full depth replacement of State Route 208,” Cosgrave said. “That project also includes the replacement of three structures along 208. It runs from State Route 60 in Dresden to Adamsville along the route. So this construction season there will be intermittent closures while we replace those box culverts. We’re currently still working on establishing a timeline that really allows us to minimize those closures and kind of minimize the disruption to the public.”

The 2025-2026 construction project will finish with the road bed replacement, which digs several feet under the asphalt to build a better base that will last for years into the future.

“So this will be a full depth reconstruction of State Route 208,” Cosgrave said. “Which means we will take it down to the soil and essentially rebuild the roadway. There was a need for it. It’s all part of our mission to provide the best in class transportation system. And we want to make sure the people in our communities have that and we’re fulfilling that mission to them.”

In addition to the roadbed and culvert replacements, sections of new guard rail will be installed along the route for improved safety. ODOT estimates the $9.64 Million dollar project to be finished by the end of 2026.