Turnpike to spend $110M in 2014

Easter weekend lane closings might lead to delays in region

3/29/2014

A resurfacing project restricting the Ohio Turnpike to one lane each way just west of Toledo starting Monday is part of $110 million the toll road will spend on major maintenance and improvement projects this year.

The turnpike plans to repave 12.2 miles from Milepost 55.5, between the Reynolds Road (U.S. 20) and Airport Highway (State Rt. 2) interchanges, and Milepost 43.3 near Delta, Ohio. The turnpike has two lanes each way in that zone, and during construction two-way traffic will be set up on one side while the other side is repaved.

That work will be done in two separate sections, one from now until late May or early June, the other starting after Labor Day. Because of the project’s tight schedule, lane closings may remain in place during the Easter weekend. Similar closings in the past have led to huge traffic backups.

Less than three miles farther east, the turnpike plans to complete its 6.5-mile third-lane widening between Reynolds and the I-75 interchange in Rossford. Two lanes will remain open each way, but the speed limit will be reduced to 50 mph, and several Perrysburg and Maumee streets that pass under the toll road will be closed temporarily starting in June.

In eastern Sandusky County, traffic will be reduced from three lanes to two both ways between mileposts 101.2 and 107.3 while eastbound right and center lanes are rebuilt. An eastbound lane will be crossed over to the westbound side during construction.

A similar reconstruction zone will be set up for five miles southeast of Cleveland. All four projects are to be completed in November.

“These projects not only indicate the start of better weather in Ohio, it signifies the unified efforts to improve Ohio’s transportation system,” Rick Hodges, executive director of the Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission, said in a statement. “As always, the commission is pleased to have a full construction season planned, which not only provides jobs for thousands across the state, but also helps to keep the turnpike in excellent condition.”

The widening project west of I-75 also is the last piece of the turnpike’s plan to widen 160 miles between Reynolds and the I-76/​I-80 junction near Youngstown.

Contact David Patch at: dpatch@theblade.com or 419-724-6094.