View as a Webpage

Printed copies of the April edition of Under Construction Magazine are hitting mailboxes now. You can also read it online and share with your coworkers and colleagues.

County Health Department Breaks Ground on New Facility

Grae-Con Construction, Inc. recently broke ground on the new Belmont County Health Department facility. Crews from James White Construction, pictured above, are on site moving earth.

“Obviously the activity has picked up quite a bit, anyone that has been near the site has noticed quite a bit of dirt moving. They’re in full construction mode, as we speak,” Belmont County Commissioner J.P. Dutton said. “They’re doing all the site prep right now, and I see a lot of activity happening there for the rest of the year.”

Benwood Sewer Project Nears Completion, Promises Cleaner Ohio River

The City of Benwood's sewer separation project is nearing completion, with several phases already finished. The five-phase initiative aims to separate the sanitary sewers from the city's street sewers, with South Benwood now complete.

The project will eliminate 14 combined sewer overflows, with Ohio-West Virginia Excavating handling the work. It will comply with federal law under the Clean Water Act.

ODOT Planning More Than $68.6 Million Worth of Projects for Belmont County

After nearly a year, the Blaine Hill Bridge project will go out for bid on April 21, with construction projected to begin in May. Completion of the repair and rehabilitation project is expected by early summer 2026.

ODOT is also working on 21 other projects within Belmont County. ODOT District 11 Public Information Officer Lauren Borell said Belmont County has the most projects of any county in the entire district.

Weirton Overpass Bridge Slated for Replacement

The replacement of a bridge in the upper part of the city’s downtown is among a series of projects included in plans for the West Virginia Division of Highways. According to information released by WVDOH District 6 officials, a project is in the planning phase to replace the bridge known as the Weirton Steel Overpass.

“Estimated at $18 million, this project will remove and replace the existing overpass, transitioning to an on-grade roadway for improved traffic flow,” notes the announcement. Carrying a portion of state Route 2, the span is located on property once part of Weirton Steel Corp. and now owned by the Frontier Group of Companies.

$30M Interchange Project Aims to Boost Belmont County Growth

A $30 million Ohio Department of Transportation project will improve an interchange in Belmont County. Exit 208 on I-70, intersecting with State Route 149, has seen growth over the last several decades, including the recent opening of a Love's Travel Stop.

As a “thank you” for your membership with OVCEC, your business has access to national account pricing with several vendors through OVCEC’s Member Rewards Program. These national accounts are managed by DSI, a group purchasing organization, but the associated savings opportunities are available to you solely as an OVCEC membership benefit and without DSI based costs or purchasing requirements.

*NEW Telehealth / Virtual Care Programs*

Keeping employees well cared for while managing increasing health care costs is a challenge every company across every industry faces. With health care plans and the health care system becoming more complex and segmented, there are complementary options outside of your company’s chosen health insurance provider and/or plan to reduce a company’s health care costs. DSI launched two new programs this week, with Amaze Health and TextCare.

Amaze Health launched on Wednesday, April 9 and the webinar will be on Tuesday, April 29 at 1:00pm ET.

TextCare launched on Thursday, April 10 and the webinar will be on Wednesday, May 7 at 1:00pm ET.

Please view the below brochures for more information. To register for either or both webinars, please email mpetruzzi@dsi-mail.com.

Distracted Driving Safety Awareness Month

Your phone dings and you take your eyes off the road to grab it from the console. You may not think much of it, but those seconds when your eyes are off the road could have deadly consequences. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), five distracted seconds at a speed of 55 mph is the same as driving the entire length of a football field with your eyes closed. In 2022, 3,308 people were killed in distraction-affected crashes. 

April is recognized as Distracted Driving Awareness Month by the National Safety Council and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). These organizations aim to highlight the dangers of distracted driving and encourage drivers to focus on the road and avoid distractions. 

Distracted driving awareness campaigns often focus on the dangers of texting, talking on the phone, eating, drinking, or engaging in other activities that take a driver's attention away from the road. If you have employees driving on behalf of your company, or to and from jobsites, it is important to discuss tips for safe driving.

Types of Distracted Driving:

• Visual: Taking your eyes off the road. 
• Manual: Taking your hands off the wheel. 
• Cognitive: Distractions that take your mind away from driving. 

Tips for Distraction-Free, Safe Driving:

• Pull over to send or receive texts or make calls. 
• Establish a "designated texter" to handle messages while driving. 
• Avoid scrolling through apps while driving. 
• Put cell phones out of reach until you arrive at your destination. 
• Focus on the road and avoid all distractions. 
• Plan your trip in advance and program GPS systems, set mirrors and climate controls, etc., before you begin driving.
• Familiarize yourself with features of your vehicle’s equipment before you hit the road.
• Secure objects that may move and distract you while driving.

We've included a Toolbox topic to share with your employees.

The April Issue of Safety+Health is Now Available

Learn what safety professionals can do to keep new workers safe during their first 90 days on the job, hear about what it’s like to be a safety pro today, and preview the upcoming 2025 NSC Spring Safety Conference & Expo.

If you hear of a project you would like to see in our Plan Room, please let us know. We will make every effort to get it. And as always, if you need prints or you are interested in getting access to our online plan room, send us a message.

If you have questions, please contact us at ovcec@ovcec.com or 304-242-0520.