Southbound Newtown Road closes Aug. 24 for up to 60 days

Drivers heading south on Newtown Road will need to find another route starting Monday, Aug. 24. Anderson Township announced the southbound lanes between Mercers Point Drive and Clough Pike will close for up to 60 days.

The closure is part of a larger intersection improvement project at Clough Pike and Newtown Road that will add left-turn lanes on both roads and build a new sidewalk on the south side of Clough Pike between Copperleaf Lane and Newtown Road.

Northbound lanes stay open.

Drivers heading up the hill from Clough Pike onto Newtown Road will not be affected. Flaggers will manage traffic through the active work zone.

The detour

The official detour routes southbound drivers onto Clough Pike and Bartels Road. Commuters who use Newtown Road daily between Newtown and points north should plan extra time beginning Monday.

How it got here

The project is a federally funded, ODOT-led effort. Anderson Township's Board of Trustees unanimously authorized township administrator Vicky Earhart to enter the federal agreement and commit local matching funds from the township's 1994 TIF at its Feb. 12 meeting. Trustees Dee Stone, Katie Nappi and Tom Hodges all voted yes.

The township posted the closure notice on Sunday, Aug. 16, giving residents one week's warning before construction begins.

What to expect

If the full 60-day construction window is needed, the southbound closure could last through late October. The township has not announced interim milestones or a specific reopening target beyond that maximum window.

The finished project will deliver dedicated left-turn lanes on both Clough Pike and Newtown Road, plus a continuous sidewalk connecting Copperleaf Lane to Newtown Road along the south side of Clough Pike.