There's certainly been a healthy dose of Hollywood intrigue in the Ohio Valley in recent weeks.

That trend continued Tuesday as filming of the major motion picture "Unstoppable," starring Denzel Washington, made its latest local stop - the Market Street Bridge, which connects downtown Steubenville with W.Va. 2 just north of Follansbee.

That location joins Bellaire, Martins Ferry and Mingo Junction as a filming site for director Tony Scott's action thriller, which also stars Chris Pine and Rosario Dawson. The plot: a runaway train carrying toxic chemicals must be stopped before it derails and causes a devastating spill.

Film crews were busy Tuesday shooting various driving scenes on the century-old bridge, which was closed to traffic for about 12 hours. Filming was originally set to occur Monday, but last-minute delays forced everything back a day. On the Steubenville side, a portion of Third Street was closed to accommodate the filming.

Onlookers gathered in spurts on the sidewalk near the Jefferson County Courthouse, about a block away from the bridge. Some appeared to be curious workers sneaking a peek on their coffee break, while others came armed with cameras - perhaps hoping to catch a glimpse of the two-time Academy Award winner Washington, though there was no indication he was present during Tuesday's shoot.

Steubenville resident Ting Lawson said he's been a Denzel Washington fan for quite some time, and while he's never met the actor, Lawson said he'd like to someday.

"I followed him all throughout his whole career," said Lawson. "I've seen every movie he's ever made."

Lawson said he's particularly impressed by Washington's versatility, noting he's just as talented whether he's playing the hero or the villain. Lawson said he was there at about 6:45 a.m. when a helicopter used during filming landed in the area, sending the hats of many close by flying.

"That wasn't in the script," Lawson joked. "They weren't planning on that."

While "Unstoppable" has many area residents excited about the attention, not all of the valley's recent Tinseltown connections have been positive. On Monday, a Belmont County jury convicted suspended Martins Ferry Police Chief Barry Carpenter of receiving stolen property, tampering with evidence and theft in office for his role in a celebrity scandal involving the surrogate mother who bore twins for Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick.

Carpenter was accused of taking items from the home of Martins Ferry resident Michelle Ross, who gave birth to the celebrity couple's children in June, and offering to sell those items to tabloid news magazines.

Bridgeport Police Chief Chad Dojack also is accused in the conspiracy.

He is set to stand trial beginning Jan. 12. Charges against a third man, Bruce Callarik - Dojack's father-in-law and son of Bridgeport Mayor John Callarik - were dropped when prosecutors decided they would be better served calling Bruce Callairk as a witness against the police chiefs.