For the simple reason of finances, people are happy to see an access road to US 50 opening up again. Ruby Osborne has a job in Coolville. When Ohio Route 124 closed in early 2005, gas prices were under two dollars a gallon.

"You have to go the long way around," Osborne says. "And with gas prices going up, that's hard."

For a convienence store at Hockingport, which reopened under new management earlier this year, it means a hoped-for change in clientele.

"The road workers have been coming in and giving us business," says employee Lisa Cox. "But with the new road opening up, it will increase business."

While it took state transportation officials five years to rebuild these roads, it probably will take residents a lot longer to forget the floods which caused them to be closed in the first place.

When the road opens Monday, it will be Ohio Route 124, replacing Athens County Road 62.

"124 is completely washed out, they'll never open it completely back up...from here to Little Hocking," said store customer George Hopkins.

The roads had to be closed when severe flooding was followed by a big drop in the ohio river level...made necessary to free a barge stuck in the Belleville Locks and Dam.