Vindicator file photos

Vindicator file photos
THEY'RE OFF: At 12:01 a.m. Oct. 1, the barriers were lifted on the Ohio Turnpike near Silica Road in Jackson Township and for the first time cars, buses and trucks were permitted to travel the entire 241-mile distance of the superhighway. A short section of the Ohio Turnpike at its Eastgate had been opened a year earlier. The Buick and Plymouth in the top photo were the first cars in line. In the bottom photo, Sgt. Robert K. Jones stands by a fleet of turnpike patrol cars, described as "souped-up" Chevrolets capable of reaching 70 mph in a quarter-mile, with top speeds of 110 mph. The turnpike patrol was created as a special division of the Ohio Highway Patrol.