On July 9th, a ribbon cutting ceremony was held to celebrate the completion of Dug Road. A parade of historic cars led by Zanesville Mayor Don Mason directly followed.
Dug Road had been closed for about 7 years until the $5.5 million road stabilization project could be completed.
“The reopening of Dug Road is a big win for tourism and downtown accessibility,” stated CVB Manager Jordin Harmer. “It provides easier, more direct access to key attractions like Weasel Boy Brewing, Muddy Misers, Float the River, and other local businesses along the riverfront. This kind of infrastructure improvement not only enhances the visitor experience but also supports our efforts to promote connected spaces in Zanesville’s historic districts. Prior to the construction of I-70 and the closure of Dug Road, around 5,500 to 5,600 cars a day traversed this direction. So, it could be affecting a few hundred more cars a day, and take that number to over 6,000 cars a day. This is a very major street.”
Another ribbon cutting took place on July 22 at the site of the newly established Putnam Greenway Recreational Trail. The half-mile paved trail was made possible by a generous gift from the J.W. & M.H. Straker Charitable Foundation. Muskingum Valley Park District’s newest recreational trail is located in the Putnam Historic District along Muskingum Avenue going from Jefferson Street to Pierce Street. The project has been underway since December of 2023. Plans are in place to extend the trail to connect it to the existing Zane’s Landing Bike Trail.
Photo by Jordin Harmer, Zanesville-Muskingum County CVB Manager