The Blade's Road Warrior tells readers where the biggest driving headaches will be throughout the construction season. He will advise you which spots to avoid and what detours to take.
If construction at I-75 and repaving near Dorr Street weren't enough to keep motorists from using U.S. 24 through Toledo for anything beyond local access, two more reasons start next week.
Installation of a pump station to alleviate flooding at the Detroit Avenue underpass between Dura Avenue and Waggoner Boulevard will begin neginMonday and require single-lane traffic in each direction. Waggoner will be closed through Aug. 16.
A resurfacing project will require lane and side-street closings on Fearing Boulevard, the piece of U.S. 24 that diverges from Detroit Avenue to go under the Norfolk Southern Railroad in South Toledo. Lane closings will begin Monday during sidewalk removal, after which repaving will start. While major delays are unlikely, motorists should use special care travelling through this confined area and expect traffic to be stopped during equipment maneuvers.
Motorists should remember to avoid U.S. 23 in Monroe County because of construction. Use I-75, I-275, and I-94 as an alternate route to the Ann Arbor Art Fairs.
The Road Warrior welcomes your comments or questions about driving conditions in and around Toledo. E-mail 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 is restricted to one lane in each direction at I-280 for bridge reconstruction. Seaman Street is closed at I-280 for bridge painting and pavement reconstruction until July 28.
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. Through-traffic should plan alternate routes to minimize delays. McCord Road is scheduled to reopen at Airport today, after which Spring Valley Drive will close through Tuesday. A posted detour uses Holland-Sylvania Road.
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 entrance and exit ramps, requiring detours.
Resurfacing projects require lane closings on Detroit between Nebraska and Woodruff avenues and on Fearing Boulevard between Airport Highway and Buckingham Street. Expect delays, especially south of Dorr Street.
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. The road is blocked at the CSX railroad crossing until July 28.
7. Martin Luther King, Jr., Bridge: Reconstruction restricts traffic to one lane each way. Delays are likely during daytime hours.
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. I-75: Nighttime resurfacing requires varying lane closings between the downtown Toledo viaduct and just north of the I-475 junction. Work hours will be 7 p.m. to 6 a.m.
12. Miami Street: Reconstruction restricts traffic to northbound only between Fassett and Oak streets until December. Navarre Avenue and Wilmot Street will be closed at Miami till mid-August.
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., through next week.
14. I-75: Nighttime resurfacing requires lane restrictions from 9 p.m. until 6 a.m. between Bowling Green and Cygnet through Sept. 13.
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 through Monday.
17. South Avenue: Replacement of the Swan Creek bridge closes the street between Lynnhaven Drive and Woodsdale Avenue until late September. Detour via Airport Highway.
18. Holland-Sylvania Road: Railroad crossing work closes the road just north of Stranahan Elementary School through today. Detour via Sylvania Avenue, McCord Road, and Central Avenue.
19. U.S. 24 (Detroit Avenue): Construction associated with a new pump station for the railroad underpass near Dura Avenue will require lane restrictions beginning Monday. Waggoner Boulevard will be closed at Detroit.
20. Consaul Street: Railroad crossing repairs will close the street between Woodford Street and Paine Avenue for five days beginning Monday. Detour via Wheeling, York and Front streets.
OFF THE MAP
I-75: Pavement reconstruction restricts traffic to two lanes each way between Northline Road and the River Rouge Bridge in Detroit. Delays are likely, especially during rush hours.
I-75: Interchange reconstruction requires lane closings near North Baltimore from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. Pavement repairs and paving require lane closings between Hancock County Road 99 and State Rt. 613 between 8 p.m. and 7 a.m. Delays are likely.
I-275/I-94: In Romulus, Mich., the ramp from northbound I-275 to eastbound I-94 is closed, as is the Middlebelt Road exit from eastbound I-94. 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 occasionally closes Route 53 on the north side of Tiffin.