Road warrrior

5/2/2003

The Blade's Road Warrior tells readers where the biggest driving headaches will be throughout the construction season, which spots to avoid, and what detours to take.

Construction on State Rt. 12 near the I-75 interchange in Findlay will advance next week with the start Monday of complete roadway rebuilding west of the freeway. Only a single lane will remain open, with traffic signals at either end, between I-75 and Hancock County Road 140.

Through traffic should avoid the area if at all possible. I-75 traffic should use the U.S. 224 exit instead of Route 12, and local traffic may use Sandusky Street.

Route 12 will close entirely on May 28 for reconstruction of its bridge over I-75.

In Toledo, nighttime resurfacing will begin Monday on I-475 between U.S. 23 and I-75, and on Central Avenue (State Rt. 120) between Reynolds (U.S. 20) and Talmadge roads. Minor delays are possible, especially during the evenings.

The Road Warrior welcomes your comments or questions about driving conditions in and around Toledo. Contact him at roadwarrior@theblade.com.

1. I-280, local streets: Construction associated with the new Maumee River bridge requires occasional off-peak lane closings between Navarre Avenue and I-75. A 45-mph speed limit is posted through the area, and 35-mph is posted between Starr Avenue and Front Street. Five-minute traffic stops may cause daytime delays.

From 7 p.m. today until 6 a.m. Monday, and from 7 p.m. Monday until 6 a.m. Tuesday, one lane will be open in each direction between Summit Street and Buckeye Basin Greenbelt Parkway. Delays are likely, especially this evening, Sunday afternoon, and Monday evening.

From 9 p.m. Monday until 6 a.m. Tuesday, the southbound I-75 exit to I-280 will be closed for steel work at Manhattan Boulevard. Traffic will be detoured to the Stickney-Lagrange interchange and sent back to I-280 via northbound I-75.

Erie Street, now closed at I-280, is scheduled to reopen Monday, after which Ash Street will close at I-280.

Manhattan Boulevard is restricted to one lane in each direction at I-280 for bridge reconstruction, and project-related construction restricts Starr Avenue to one lane each way at I-280 through next week.

2. State Rt. 2 (Airport Highway): Road widening and reconstruction restricts traffic to one lane each way between I-475/U.S. 23 and Holloway Road. Expect delays and consider alternate routes.

3. I-75, U.S. 24 (Detroit Avenue): Overpass reconstruction requires lane closings on I-75 that may cause traffic delays, especially between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. and at night. On U.S. 24, traffic is reduced to one lane each way at I-75, just north of Monroe Street. Left turns are prohibited at the southbound I-75 exit and entrance ramps, requiring detours.

4. State Rt. 51: Resurfacing restricts traffic to one lane each way at varying locations between the Toledo-Oregon line and State Rt. 579. Work east of Route 579 requires flag zones. Delays are likely.

5. U.S. 6: Bridge reconstruction reduces traffic to one lane, governed by temporary signals, between the two State Rt. 199 junctions in Wood County.

6. Eckel Junction Road: Pavement reconstruction and widening closes the road to through traffic between Fort Meigs Road and State Rt. 25. One-way access is maintained for local traffic.

7. Ohio Turnpike: A resurfacing project restricts traffic to one lane each way between the U.S. 20 and I-280 interchanges. Delays are possible, especially Friday and Sunday evenings.

8. State Rt. 25: Bridge reconstruction south of Portage reduces traffic to one lane each way. Delays are possible.

9. State Rt. 2/U.S. 20A (Airport Highway): Resurfacing restricts traffic to one lane each way between Swanton and the Ohio Turnpike. Delays are possible.

10. I-475: Follow-up work associated with resurfacing last year will require nighttime lane closings between U.S. 24 and Central Avenue through next week.

11. U.S. 23: Reconstruction of two bridges restricts traffic to one lane in each direction for about a mile just north of the Ohio-Michigan border.

12. State Rt. 120 (Central Avenue), U.S. 20 (Reynolds Road): Nighttime resurfacing will require varying lane closings on Central between Reynolds and Talmadge Road, and on Reynolds between Central and Elmer Drive, starting Monday. Work hours will be 9 p.m. to 6 a.m., and delays are possible.

13. I-475: Pavement repairs and resurfacing will require nighttime lane closings between U.S. 23 and I-75, starting Monday. Work hours will be 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.

14. I-75: Nighttime resurfacing requires lane restrictions from 9 p.m. until 6 a.m. between U.S. 6 and Cygnet, through next week.

OFF THE MAP

I-75/State Rt. 18: Interchange reconstruction requires nighttime lane closings near North Baltimore from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. Railroad crossing reconstruction closes Route 18 just east of I-75 through the end of May. Use State Rt. 613 instead.

U.S. 23: A pavement reconstruction project restricts traffic to one lane each way between Summerfield Road and Dundee. Delays are likely, especially during peak hours.

In Wyandot County, U.S. 23 traffic will be detoured around the new U.S. 30 interchange under construction southeast of Upper Sandusky Monday through Wednesday nights, starting at 9 p.m. each night and reopening at 7 a.m. the next day. Traffic near the site is reduced to one lane in each direction at all other times.

State Rt. 53: Bridge rehabilitation just south of the Ottawa-Sandusky county line restricts traffic to a single lane, governed by a temporary signal. Resurfacing between the Ohio Turnpike and county line requires flag zones; expect delays.

State Rt. 64: Pavement repairs require weekday flag zones on Main Street in Swanton. Delays are possible.