MONROE, Ohio — Drivers reaching Yankee Road in Monroe on Monday found themselves hitting the brakes... and turning around.
WATCH: Yankee Road closed as construction continues on Monroe's $62 million high school.
Barricades block through traffic on both sides of the closure, leaving drivers who expected to continue down Yankee Road with no choice but to turn around.
The closure, expected to last until Nov. 20, weather permitting, is part of a larger construction project for Monroe Local Schools. Crews are building new turn lanes leading to a second access drive for Monroe High School.
Drivers can only access Hornet Drive and Monroe High School via State Route 63 during the closure. They should follow the posted detour along Todhunter and Salzman roads and plan for extra time getting to and from school.
Monroe Local Schools Superintendent Robert Buskirk said the project is long overdue.
“There has only been one access drive in and out of the school, and at some of the larger events, Friday football games, homecoming, it really backs up with traffic,” Buskirk said.
A new high school campus is taking shape
The roadwork is connected to a roughly $62 million new high school campus expected to open in fall 2028.
Construction is underway, with foundation work beginning and walls going up, Buskirk said.
Since the current high school opened in 2004, enrollment has doubled, putting pressure on the existing building.
“We have been bursting at the seams,” Buskirk said. “We have been creative about adding space within the building, but this new high school will definitely relieve the pressure inside the building and allow us to have a lot more breathing room.”
Some residents question the timing
Even on the first day of the closure, the change was frustrating for some people trying to get through the area.
One neighbor questioned the sidewalk work, while a parent picking up her children wondered why the closure could not have happened during the summer. Neither agreed to speak on camera.
The district said it shared information about the closure in advance and posts weekly construction updates online. Buskirk said the timing was outside the district’s control because the project involves multiple government agencies.
He thanked the community for its patience as construction continues.
“I really have to hand it to the community. They have been really patient,” Buskirk said. “They understand that there is going to be some growing pains, but it is really for the good of the campus and the students in the long run.”
Yankee Road is expected to reopen Nov. 20, weather permitting. Until then, drivers heading to Monroe High School should use State Route 63 to access Hornet Drive.
