ODOT: Staying informed means staying safe this holiday

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

COLUMBUS — Thanksgiving marks the start of five weeks of busy holiday travel throughout Ohio. Over the past month, the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) has completed construction on a number of major interstate projects that should make travel safer and easier this season.

Projects completed in time for the holidays include:

U.S. Route 24, Paulding, Defiance and Henry counties (Northwestern Ohio) - The latest stretches of the U.S. 24 Fort to Port project, connecting SR 101 in Indiana to Napoleon, are now open. The project called for modernizing and updating the roadway. With 23 miles of new roadway opened, ODOT is now more than halfway complete with the $402 million modernization and expansion of U.S. 24.

International Gateway/ Stelzer Road, Franklin County (Central Ohio) - Interchange construction at the intersection of International Gateway and Stelzer Rd. at Port Columbus International Airport has been completed. The work included relocating the International Gateway roadway and the reconstruction of a part of Stelzer Rd.

Interstate 70/Interstate 75, Montgomery County - All lanes and ramps of the I-70/I-75 interchange just north of Dayton are now open. This $145 million project was completed in three phases over a period of seven years.

Last year, urban interstates saw slight increases in traffic volumes before and after the Thanksgiving holiday, but traffic volumes on rural highways the Wednesday before Thanksgiving rose by 53 percent over the average Wednesday in November. They rose again by 59 percent over the average Sunday in November following the holiday.

Projects currently under construction that could impact holiday travel include:

U.S. 24 in Lucas and Henry counties – is reduced to one lane in each direction from I-475 to Dutch Rd. as part of the major construction of a newly aligned four-lane divided highway on U.S. 24, from Toledo to Napoleon. While permanent work zone restrictions remain in place, work will be suspended over the holiday.

Interstate 77 in Cuyahoga County – The Rockside Rd. eastbound ramp to I-77 northbound is restricted to one narrow lane. Permanent work zone restrictions remain in place over the holiday.

I-75 in Montgomery County - Southbound I-75 through downtown Dayton, has various lane restrictions as part of the realignment of I-75 from Stanley Ave. to Main St. The Keowee and Leo St. ramps will permanently close to traffic at 11 p.m. on Nov. 23. All detours are posted.

ODOT reminds motorists to Know Before You Go! A complete list of active construction projects throughout the state can be found on ODOT’s premiere website, www.BuckeyeTraffic.org. The site offers up-to-the-minute information and a user-friendly map showing work zone locations, traffic congestion alerts, road closures, weather conditions, and Highway Patrol accident updates; all available 24-hours a day, seven days a week.