The Blade's Road Warrior
7/1/2005The Blade s Road Warrior tells readers where the biggest driving headaches will be throughout the construction season. He will tell you the spots to avoid and the detours to take.
Shafts for noise-wall foundations along I-280 and an excavation for a larger pumping station near Starr Avenue are the sources of dirt that has been piling up near the Curtice Road entrance to northbound I-280, the Ohio Department of Transportation says.
Each of the 740 pillars supporting noise walls between Navarre Avenue and I-75 requires a foundation shaft 2 feet in diameter and between 12 and 18 feet deep, spokesman Joe Rutherford said. About 2,300 cubic yards of earth will be removed during the noise wall project, he said.
Even larger is the yield about 23,000 cubic yards from the hole needed to expand the Starr Avenue pump station that handles runoff from I-280 storm drains, the spokesman said.
All that dirt, plus more that was trucked to infield areas near the Woodville Road ramps, will be consumed by the conversion of the I-280 trench in North Toledo to parkland after the Veterans Glass City Skyway is finished late next year, Mr. Rutherford said. The trench s filling and contouring is expected to use 400,000 cubic yards of earth.
In general, we ve been squirreling fill material away wherever we can for this project, he said.
1. I-280: All lanes are open on I-280 in both directions this weekend, with the southbound side to close again at Front Street at 7 a.m. Tuesday. Local access will be maintained on either side of the Front interchange. Northbound I-280 is now scheduled to close at Front on July 8. Through traffic should follow the posted detour, I-75 to State Rt. 795, or use I-75 to the Ohio Turnpike.
A 35-mph speed limit remains in effect through the Veterans Glass City Skyway construction area in both directions. The northbound exit and southbound entrance at Greenbelt Parkway remain closed, as do Ash and Huron streets at I-280.
2. U.S. 20/23, State Rt. 420: Interchange construction closes one of two lanes in each direction on Route 420 south of Truman Road. Pemberville Road is closed at U.S. 20/23 for overpass construction. Use Bradner or Lemoyne roads instead.
3. U.S. 24: Resurfacing requires flag zones between Luna Pier and Dunbar roads. Delays are likely.
4. Martin Luther King, Jr. Bridge: Preparatory work associated with the draw span replacement requires lane closings from 6:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, except on holidays. Expect delays.
5. I-75: Bridge deck repairs limit traffic to two lanes each way between the Ohio-Michigan border and Exit 5 near Erie, Mich., and also between LaPlaisance Road and Dixie Highway near Monroe. Ramps are closed at Exits 13 and 14, with detours posted. Delays are possible during peak travel times.
6. Byrne Road: Bridge reconstruction and pavement work restrict traffic to one lane in each direction between Airport Highway and Glendale Avenue. Use Eastgate Road or Detroit Avenue instead.
7. State Rt. 246 (Dorr Street): Resurfacing and repair restrict traffic to one lane each way between Douglas Road/Westwood Avenue and Smead Avenue. Upton Avenue is closed south of Dorr through Wednesday.
8. Laskey Road: Street reconstruction restricts traffic to eastbound-only between Talmadge and Secor roads, starting Wednesday. Westbound traffic will be detoured via Secor, Alexis Road, and Talmadge.
9. Summit Street: Bridge reconstruction restricts traffic to one lane each way at the Ottawa River.
10. Fulton-Lucas Road: Bridge repairs close the road between Airport Highway and Shaffer Road until mid-October. Use Scott Road instead.
11. Monroe Street (State Rt. 51): Widening and repaving require nighttime lane closings between Willis Boulevard and Crary Drive. This includes the Secor Road and Sylvania Avenue intersections. Work hours will be 8 p.m. until 6 a.m., with some scattered daytime closings for utility pole relocation.
12. State Rt. 64: Painting restricts traffic on the Waterville Bridge to a single lane, governed by flag zones, daily between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. and between 7 p.m. and 6 a.m. Completion is scheduled for July 15.
13. State Rt. 582: Pavement reconstruction closes the route between Dunbridge Road and State Rt. 199 until mid-August. A 12-mile detour will use State Rts. 199 and 105 and I-75.
14. State Rt. 295: Pavement maintenance requires flag zones in various locations between Sylvania Avenue and the Michigan state line through next week. Minor delays are likely.
15. I-75: Bridge repairs will require northbound lane closings in the Bowling Green area next week. On Wednesday, the work will be at Poe Road, while on Thursday, it will be at Devil s Hole Road. Delays are likely during the work hours of 9 a.m. until 3 p.m.
16. I-475/U.S. 23: Bridge inspection will require lane closings in both directions at the Maumee River between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. Thursday. Delays are likely.
17. State Rt. 2: Pavement testing will require flag zones in Jerusalem Township from 7 a.m. until 5 p.m. Wednesday through Friday. Minor delays are likely.
U.S. 6: Traffic is reduced to one lane each way at the western end of the Fremont Bypass, with temporary traffic signals regulating the merge between U.S. 6 and U.S. 20.
U.S. 24: Pavement repairs will require flag zones through Antwerp, Ohio. Expect delays.
State Rt. 2: Rehabilitation of the Edison Bridge over Sandusky Bay closes one westbound lane between 10 p.m. Monday and 10 a.m. Friday each week through the summer. Both eastbound lanes are open.
In Ottawa County, intersection work requires flag zones at Benton-Carroll Road during daytime hours, and Benton-Carroll is closed at Route 2 with a local detour posted.
State Rt. 108: Replacement of the Perry Street Bridge in Napoleon requires a six-mile detour, via U.S. 6 and State Rt. 110, until the new bridge opens in October.
Contact the Road Warrior at:roadwarrior@theblade.com or 419-724-6094.