Route 12 span work to trigger detours

6/6/2003

FINDLAY - The State Rt. 12 bridge over I-75 will close this morning for reconstruction, and this weekend I-75 traffic will be affected by the span's demolition.

About 8 a.m., Route 12 will close at the freeway until about early October.

At 9 tonight, bridge demolition will begin, and I-75 traffic will be diverted onto the Route 12 interchange ramps until about 8 a.m. Monday.

According to the Ohio Department of Transportation, the northbound ramps are wide enough to maintain two lanes of traffic, but southbound motorists will have to squeeze into a single lane. Traffic delays are likely, especially on Sunday afternoon.

No access will be permitted between Route 12 and I-75 during the bridge demolition. Afterward, access between the two highways will be limited by the overpass' absence. The southbound ramps will serve only points west of the freeway on Route 12, while the northbound ramps will lead only to or from downtown Findlay.

Nighttime lane closings will continue on I-75 in the area next week, ODOT said. Normal traffic patterns are expected to resume the following week, but additional lane closings and another weekend up-and-over detour - when steel beams are put up for the new Route 12 bridge - are likely during the summer.