Bancroft closed east of UT for two days, starting Thursday

6/13/2018

Bancroft Street’s reconstruction past the University of Toledo’s main campus is approaching its midway point, with traffic likely to be flipped onto rebuilt pavement by early July, a city spokesman said Wednesday.

But for two days starting Thursday, Bancroft will be shut down entirely just east of the university while the last vestige of a railroad bridge that once passed over it is removed.

Bancroft and Westwood Avenue will both be closed at their intersection while the south abutment of the former Toledo Terminal Railroad bridge is torn down.

Ignazio Messina, spokesman for Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz, said the closing is “for safety purposes and for the heavy equipment to utilize this portion of the roadway for removal.”

Through traffic will be detoured via University Hills Boulevard, Douglas Road, Dorr Street, and Parkside Boulevard.

The bridge’s overhead span and north abutment were previously removed.

Following reconstruction last year between Westwood and Parkside, Bancroft is being rebuilt this year between Westwood and Secor Road.

The north half of Bancroft’s pavement — normally the westbound lanes — and the east half of University Hills is nearly complete except for the surface pavement layer, with traffic tentatively scheduled to be switched onto those lanes on June 29, Mr. Messina said.

Overall, the $9 million project is scheduled for completion Nov. 1, he said.

“Although there have been some delays,” the spokesman said, “final paving will be completed by that date.”

The railroad corridor, last used by trains in the early 2000s, now belongs to the city of Toledo north of Bancroft and to the University of Toledo between Bancroft and Glanzman Road.

Mr. Messina said the city has grant funding in hand to extend the Chessie Circle Trail, which now runs from Bowman Park to Monroe Street, as far as University Hills, just short of Bancroft.

“UT has no path project for its portion of the corridor on the horizon,” the city spokesman said. “Both partners understand and are committed to eventually extending the Chessie Circle Trail bike path across Bancroft with a new bridge, but neither has funding for a project at this time.”