The remaining closed, reconstructed ramps at the U.S. 68/State Route 15 interchange with Interstate 75 will open this weekend, marking the last, significant structures to be completed on a historic project in Findlay and Hancock County.
"This project is a significant part of our efforts to modernize and reconstruct the I-75 corridor in northwest Ohio. Since 2012, we have invested $1.1 billion into nearly 55 miles of I-75 from the Ohio and Michigan border to Lima," said Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) Director Jack Marchbanks, who was in Findlay to mark the occasion.
The $114 million, four-year project from Harrison Street south of Findlay to County Road 99 north of Findlay is in its final stages and will be completed later this fall.
Work to open the following ramps at the U.S. 68/State Route 15 interchange will begin Sunday around 7 p.m. and will be completed by early Monday:
• I-75 northbound to U.S. 68/state Route 15.
• I-75 northbound to Lima Avenue.
• U.S. 68/state Route 15 to I-75 southbound.
Also on Sunday, traffic on Interstate 75 from Harrison Street to Sandusky Street will be switched into its final traffic pattern. Currently all lanes of I-75 in this area are traveling on the southbound side.
Both the ramp openings and traffic switch will require lane restrictions on I-75 Sunday night into Monday morning.
With the ramps opening at the U.S. 68/State Route 15 interchange, the most significant remaining work on the I-75 project is paving of the final driving surface.
A small area of the northbound lanes is yet to be paved and will take place next week. Southbound, paving of the final driving surface between Harrison Street and Sandusky Street will begin later this month.
Paving operations will take place generally from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. each night for the next few weeks.
Currently crews are painting bridges, culverts, and parapet walls. Final items that remain to complete the project are pavement striping, seeding, installation of pavement reflectors, signage, and rumble strips.
Work to extend a noise wall on the west side of I-75 from Bigelow Avenue to the south is under way and is expected to be complete in September.
The project in its entirety is expected to be completed in late October.
"We have been diligent in both schedule and work process to get this project to this point,” said Chris Hughes, Ohio Department of Transportation District 1 deputy director. "We anticipated opening the ramps and switching traffic next month, and are happy to see this day come earlier than expected."
The most notable features of the I-75 project:
A third lane in each direction on Interstate 75 was constructed. Traffic will be traveling in three lanes in each direction throughout the project beginning next week, except for lane closures for paving and barrier work. Traffic is currently traveling on three lanes from Sandusky Street to the north.
The redesign of the interchange at Lima Avenue with U.S. 68/State Route 15 into a double roundabout provides a direct connection between I-75 and Lima Avenue without first merging onto U.S. 68/State Route 15.
Reconstruction of the lanes of U.S. 68/State Route 15 from its interchange with I-75 to the south end of the project.
Reconstruction of the Harrison Street bridge over I-75.
Construction of a new flyover ramp which carries I-75 southbound traffic to U.S. 68/State Route 15. The flyover eliminated a loop ramp where numerous rollover accidents occurred.
Reconstruction of all ramps at the State Route 12 and U.S. 224 interchanges.
Completion of a service road along Lima Avenue near the headquarters of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.
Reconstruction of the Logan Avenue intersection with Lima Avenue.
Installation of noise walls.
The project is reconstructing and widening approximately five miles of Interstate 75 from just south of the Harrison Street overpass to the County Road 99 interchange north of Findlay.
The project also includes the replacement of all mainline bridges on Interstate 75, replacement of the Harrison Street overpass, the redesign and reconstruction of the interchange between U.S. 68/State Route 15 and Interstate 75, and the redesign and reconstruction of the interchange with U.S. 68/State Route 15 at Lima Avenue.
Beaver Excavating, Canton, serves as the general contractor on the project.
