Barricades, a backhoe and other items block Saltwell Road at state Route 45 where a sewer line recently collapsed. That section of Saltwell Road from state Route 45 to Dickey Drive is expected to be closed until May 8 while the sewer line is replaced. Motorists who need to get to the various businesses off of Dickey Drive and along Saltwell can access the road from the east via state Route 164. (Photo by Mary Ann Greier)

LISBON — Motorists in Lisbon trying to vote early, visit the post office, get a title or go to Columbiana County Municipal Court must travel via Saltwell Road from the south off of state Route 164 until at least May 8.

A sewer line along state Route 45 at Saltwell collapsed last Friday and required the Lisbon Water Department to close the road starting Tuesday to replace the line, which is expected to take the next 10 days.

“Please be patient with us,” Senior Plant Operator Chris Peterson said Tuesday.

The department had already been planning on installing a new sewer line along there, but Peterson said they’ll have to do some of that work ahead of time now. Dailey Excavating was hired to do the work, to dig down to replace about 40 feet of line just south of the post office, but Peterson said they may go a little farther the rest of the way to the post office.

He also said a bypass pump had to be installed, saying the post office had an issue Saturday with the sewer backing up.

Bill Hoover, who chairs the Lisbon Board of Public Affairs, said that line is at least 50 years old and the department is working to get it fixed. The line is about 8 feet underground and required that end of Saltwell Road to be closed.

Peterson said he notified all of the affected businesses off of Dickey Drive and along that portion of Saltwell about the closure, advising to use state Route 164 to access the eastern end of Saltwell to reach everything. Besides the post office, court and title department, there are apartments, a nursing home, the county Educational Service Center, the county Department of Job and Family Services, Veterans Service Commission, Port Authority and Development Department, WIC, OSU Extension Office, Community Action Agency of Columbiana County, a bank and the county Board of Elections.

The Board of Elections is hosting voters who are voting early and will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. today through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday for in-office voting.

Election night is May 5 and will create a lot of traffic from poll workers picking up their machines for the polling places on May 4 and then returning with the results the night of May 5. Absentee voters can also drop off their ballots until 7:30 p.m. May 5.

A notice about the road closure was also placed on social media by Lisbon Mayor Peter Wilson.