The over $260 million Interstate 75 widening project is going strong with plans to be completed during 2017.
The project, which is focused on converting sections of the interstate from two lanes to three, covers a stretch of I-75 from Perrysburg southbound to Findlay. Split into four sections, the project is being worked on by various crews and will be completed at different times. The earliest section of the project, between North Baltimore and US6, will see completion in August this year due to its low complexity nature.
“The didn’t break any world records. They are just delivering on time due to the project size,” said Ross Echler, transportation manager for District Two.
The remaining three sections will be completed some time next year.
The widening project was deemed necessary during a freight study showing the stretch of I-75 from Perrysburg to Findlay to be a heavy freight corridor.
“It was recognized as one of the top three freight corridors in the state of Ohio,” ODOT Public Information Officer Theresa Pollock said. “If you got stuck behind a truck on I-75 being two lanes as it is now, it will take you a while to get where you need to go, but with three lanes it will have the appropriate capacity to handle both the commercial and vehicular traffic.”
Converting I-75 to three lanes is not the only thing taking place during the widening project. A problematic traffic weave connecting northbound I-75 to state route 25 is being removed as part of a safety project under the widening project’s umbrella.
Pollock explained that drivers coming from Bowling Green to Levis Commons or Costco would be required to jump from the I-75 to 475 ramp, across two lanes, and on to the state route 25 exit in approximately 1,500 feet of road.
To remove this traffic weave, construction crews have closed down the two ramps connecting northbound I-75 and 475 for approximately 120 days with a target end date of September this year. This project will affect the northbound ramps only, leaving the southbound ramps open.
Traffic will be diverted to two different roads depending on which direction you are traveling from.
Drivers coming from northbound I-75 connecting to 475 will continue on I-75 to exit 195 for state route 795. From 795 drivers will get on southbound I-75 and use the normal exit to 475.
Drivers coming from eastbound 457 connecting to northbound I-75 will exit onto southbound I-75 to exit 187 for state route 582. From 582 drivers will get on northbound I-75 and continue as normal.
Both detours will add between 11 and 12 minutes to the drive time.
The completion of the project will yield a dedicated ramp connecting southbound I-75 to a collector road leading to the state route 25 exit. This collector road will have a barrier preventing access to 475 traffic. The barrier will not prevent access to state route 25 from northbound I-75.
The project is currently on target at day 36 leaving 86 days until the estimated completion date.
“We are using this closure time very wisely in order to be efficient as possible. We realize this [closure] has a large impact on drivers in northwest Ohio,” Pollock said.
