The Mahoning County Ovi Task Force has announced when and where it is holding a sobriety checkpoint tonight.

Officers will be conducting a roadside check of drivers for alcohol and drug impairment at Market Street and Hillman from 10 pm tonight until 2 am Sunday.

The checkpoint, funded by federal grant funds, is designed to deter and intercept impaired drivers.

In 1990 the U.S. Supreme court ruled that holding sobriety checkpoints without first notifying drivers would violate the Constitution's provision barring illegal search and seizure.

In their ruling, however, the justices did not spell out what they considered to be adequate notification.

That same year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration published recommended procedures for OVI checkpoints which included notifying the media of the planned roadblocks.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol says that the popularity of St. Patrick's Day has also made it a dangerous time to travel on Ohio's roadways.

In 2017, there were reportedly 39 people injured on St. Patrick's Day due to alcohol-related crashes.

"There are so many options to get home safely after consuming alcohol," said Colonel Paul A. Pride, Patrol superintendent. "Planning ahead before you go out is not only the smart thing to do, it's the right thing to do."

As always, motorists are encouraged to dial #677 to report drug activity or impaired drivers.

In addition to the checkpoint, Valley police officers are expected to have additional resources on the road, looking for impaired or distracted drivers.

Meanwhile, to make way for the festivities, Downtown Youngstown has closed a main thoroughfare for about 36 hours.

According to a release from the Youngstown Police Department Federal Street in Downtown will be closed between Hazel and Phelps Streets through Sunday, March 18th at noon.