U.S. 68 through Arlington reopened Saturday morning after being closed for four months as the roadway was reconstructed.

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

“It is all coming together and looking nice. Some work remains,” said Arlington Mayor Marcia Smith.

She says the final striping at crosswalks and interchanges will occur within two weeks.

Local businesses are thankful the roadway has reopened and expect operations to begin returning to normal.

Curly’s Pizza and Drivethru owner, Bradley Cooper, closed July 2nd and will begin phasing in parts of the business.

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

ODOT says the pavement of U.S. 68 was built in the 1910s and 1920s and the original brick base beneath much of the pavement was poorly drained, leading to frequent pavement failures and repairs.