Roberts Road between Spindler Road and Alton & Darby Creek Road is open again, ending a 64-day detour for Hilliard west-side drivers who have been rerouting through neighborhood streets since June 1.

The Franklin County Engineer's Office announced the reopening Aug. 4, after completing a bridge replacement project over Clover Groff Run. The road closed June 1 for what was estimated to be a 35-day job. It took nearly twice that long.

No official explanation has been given for the overrun. The original closure notice included the caveat "weather permitting," but the county has not detailed what caused the additional 29 days of work.

What the project included

The Franklin County Engineer's Office Bridge Department rehabilitated the existing Roberts Road bridge and widened it to the north. The wider structure will accommodate a future shared-use path planned by the City of Columbus. Crews widened existing bridge abutments to the north and constructed a new superstructure of precast deck beams, according to the county's project page.

Funding came from the City of Columbus and from Motor Vehicle Registration and Gas User Fees, according to the City of Hilliard's project page.

More construction ahead

The bridge is done, but Roberts Road isn't finished with orange barrels. A separate City of Hilliard project tied to the Alton Place mixed-use development, including full roadway reconstruction, sidewalks, shared-use paths, street lighting and utility improvements, is still underway west of Alton & Darby Creek Road. That work was also scheduled to start June 1 but was delayed due to unforeseen circumstances. The city expects it to wrap up by mid-August 2026.

Residents with questions about the completed bridge project can contact Ed Herrick, P.E., bridge engineer at the Franklin County Engineer's Office, at 614-525-2786. Questions about the Alton Place roadway project go to Letty Schamp, city engineer, at 614-334-2456.