Road warrior

6/20/2003

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

Overpass demolition and the removal of construction forms on the new Maumee River bridge will close I-280 once again this weekend.

Starting at 10 p.m. today, southbound I-280 will close at I-75. An hour later, entrance and exit ramps on the northbound side, followed at midnight by a complete I-280 closing. Traffic will be detoured via State Rt. 795 and I-75 until I-280 reopens at 6 a.m. Monday. The Craig Memorial Bridge will remain open to cross-river traffic only.

Demolition of the Huron Street overpass will continue around the clock during the weekend. The Ohio Department of Transportation has sent letters to nearby residents advising them of the likelihood of nighttime noise.

Travelers headed north of Ann Arbor tomorrow and Sunday may be delayed on U.S. 23 at M-14, where sign work will require lane closings and traffic interruptions. Plan on going through before 9 a.m. each day or allow extra time.

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

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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. Reduced speed limits are posted through the area. Ten-minute traffic stops may cause daytime delays.

Northbound I-280 ramps at the Buckeye Basin Greenbelt Parkway remain closed for construction while the I-280 bridge over the parkway is widened.

Westbound Front Street is reduced to one lane, between Consaul Street and I-280. Ash and Huron streets are both closed at I-280. Manhattan Boulevard is restricted to one lane in each direction at I-280 for bridge reconstruction.

2. State Rt. 2 (Airport Highway), I-475: Road widening and reconstruction restricts traffic to one lane each way between I-475 and Holloway Road. The southbound I-475 exit to westbound Route 2 is closed through Monday. A posted detour takes traffic south to U.S. 24, then back north on I-475 to Route 2. Through-traffic should plan alternate routes to minimize delays.

3. I-75, U.S. 24 (Detroit Avenue): Overpass reconstruction requires lane closings on I-75 that may delay traffic during midday and nighttime hours. 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 between the two State Rt. 199 junctions in Wood County.

6. Eckel Junction Road: Road widening work 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 I-75 and I-280 interchanges.

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

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

10. West South Boundary Street: Widening restricts traffic to one direction between State Rts. 25 and 199, with delays likely.

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 line.

12. State Rt. 120 (Central Avenue), U.S. 20 (Reynolds Road): Pavement work following resurfacing requires nighttime lane closings on Central Avenue between Reynolds Road and Talmadge and on Reynolds between Central and Elmer Drive. Work hours are 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.

13. I-475: Pavement repairs and resurfacing require nighttime lane closings and occasional ramp closings between U.S. 23 and I-75, from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.

14. I-75: Nighttime resurfacing may require lane restrictions from 9 p.m. until 6 a.m. between Bowling Green and Cygnet.

15. State Rt. 163: Road realignment closes the route between the Ottawa-Wood county line and Genoa. Detour via State Rt. 51 and I-280.

16. State Rt. 25: Resurfacing restricts traffic to one lane each way in work zone areas between State Rt. 582 and Roachton Road.

17. Miami Street: Reconstruction restricts traffic to northbound only between Fassett and Oak streets until December. Navarre Avenue and Wilmot Street both will be closed at Miami until mid-August.

18. South Avenue: Replacement of the Swan Creek bridge closes the street between Lynnhaven Drive and Woodsdale Avenue at 9 a.m. Monday. Reopening is scheduled for late September. Detour via Airport Highway.

19. State Rt. 120 (Central Avenue): Traffic median work requires varying lane closings between Jackman Road and Kelly Avenue, including the Upton Avenue intersection, through July 17.

OFF THE MAP

I-75: Pavement reconstruction restricts traffic to two lanes each way between Goddard Road and the River Rouge Bridge in Detroit. Delays are likely, especially during rush hours.

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 Tuesday. Use State Rt. 613 instead.

I-275/I-94: In Romulus, Mich., the ramp from northbound I-275 to eastbound I-94 is closed. All Metro Airport traffic from Toledo should use the Eureka Road exit from I-275. Lane and ramp closings affect I-94 elsewhere near the airport during a reconstruction project through late July.

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

In Wyandot County, construction of a new U.S. 30 interchange southeast of Upper Sandusky restricts traffic to one lane each way.

State Rt. 12: Overpass reconstruction closes the route at I-75 in Findlay until early October. South of Arcadia, Ohio, replacement of two culverts closes the route through July 31.

State Rt. 53: Sewer construction closes Route 53 on the north side of Tiffin. Detour via State Rts. 12, 635, and 18.

State Rt. 163: Painting closes the Portage River drawbridge in Port Clinton weeknights between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. The completion date depends on weather and mayfly conditions.