The opening of U.S. 68 within the village of Arlington occurred quietly Saturday morning, Sept. 5, ending the four-month closure to complete the two remaining phases the roadway reconstruction project.

The project includes curb and gutter, drainage and storm sewer from the south corporation limit to Liberty Street; and from Buck Run to just north of Wardwell Street.

The village and the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) completed phase 1 in 2018 when the roadway between Liberty Street and Buck Run was reconstructed.

"It has been great partnering with everyone - Helms and Sons Excavating, ODOT, the Ohio State Highway Patrol, and the Hancock County Sheriff's Office have all been great to work with. We appreciate the residents being patient," said village councilman, Brian Essinger.  "It is a blessing for the region and our area. We thank everyone involved."

Helms and Sons Excavating, Findlay, served as general contractor for the village.

“It is all coming together and looking nice. Some work remains,” said the mayor of the village, Marcia Smith. “Final striping at crosswalks and interchanges will occur within two weeks," she said.

Local businesses are thankful for the opening and expect operations to begin returning to normal.

Curly's Pizza and Drivethru owner, Bradley Cooper, closed July 2 and will begin phasing in parts of the business. Though, he doesn't expect to begin producing doughnuts until 2021.

Jamie Grieser, part-owner of Cheeky Bear, said "We plan to return to normal hours next week, including our grab-and go-breakfasts."

The pavement of U.S. 68 was built in the 1910s and 1920s. The original brick base beneath much of the pavement through the village was poorly drained, which led to frequent pavement failures and repairs.