ODOT soon to begin working on 2nd span

The $100 million-plus project is on schedule, an ODOT
spokesman said.

By DENISE DICK

VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER

AUSTINTOWN — The eastbound span of the Interstate 80 bridge over the Meander Reservoir project is done, and traffic will be directed in the coming weeks to allow construction of the new westbound portion.

“On Saturday morning, we started moving traffic onto the new bridge,” said Justin Chesnic, a spokesman for the Ohio Department of Transportation District 4.

The next step is to set up barriers on the eastbound bridge to separate eastbound and westbound traffic and direct all of the traffic onto the new eastbound piece. Getting traffic off the old westbound bridge will allow its demolition and construction of a new span.

The $100 million-plus project started in April 2006 and is expected to be finished in fall 2009. It’s one of the largest ODOT projects in the state.

“It’s on schedule,” the ODOT spokesman said.

Crews are widening and reconstructing I-80 to six lanes from the Ohio Turnpike to the I-80/state Route 11 interchange.

The project includes replacement of the twin bridges over Meander and the bridges at North Turner, Ohltown and North Lipkey roads.

All traffic had been traveling along the westbound span while the new eastbound piece was constructed.

A spill containment system is also included in the project. It will allow any spilled chemicals to drain into a ditch, giving emergency crews a 30-minute window to contain it before it filters into the reservoir.

After a handful of accidents within the construction area last winter, ODOT removed the barriers that separated traffic to try to alleviate the risk. But Chesnic said those barriers were originally in place because of the different elevations of the lanes. That won’t be an issue in construction of the westbound bridge.