ODOT will have busy road work season
CANFIELD
The Ohio Department of Transportation has $117.4 million in active construction projects underway in Mahoning County, the state agency said during its Monday Mahoning County Transportation Day program in the Canfield public library.
By far the largest chunk of that is the ongoing $91.2 million widening of Interstate 80 from four to six lanes between state Routes 46 and 193 (Belmont Avenue), which began last year and will end in July 2018.
“It has the second-most truck traffic in the state. It’s a major connector between Chicago and New York City,” and the purpose of the widening is to help alleviate truck-traffic congestion, said Brent Kovacs, an ODOT public information officer.
Various ramp closures and improvements and bridge replacements are occurring during the project, but at least one lane of traffic in each direction will be maintained on I-80 during nonpeak travel times.
Two ramps in Austintown are now closed: the state Route 11 northbound ramp to Interstate 80 eastbound through late May, and the Interstate 80 westbound ramp to state Route 11 southbound through early June.
The Interstate 80 eastbound on-ramp from Salt Springs Road will close for 30 days, likely beginning in June, said David Reich, ODOT construction administrator.
“That’ll be a big one. I know it’s a busy interchange,” he said.
The eastbound Interstate 80 off ramp to U.S. Route 422 and the westbound Interstate 80 on-ramp from U.S. Route 422 in Girard will close in midsummer for 10 to 12 months, he added.
In another project along Interstate 80, Mount Everett Road in Hubbard Township under Interstate 80 is closed through mid-October for an $11.8 million project to replace the two bridges on Interstate 80 over that road.
Notable among the Mahoning Valley projects are a series of lengthy road closings elsewhere for bridge replacements, such as the Liberty Street bridge over state Route 11 in Liberty Township, which closed Monday and will remain closed through mid-July, and the Vestal Road bridge over Interstate 680, which will close Friday and remain closed through mid-October.
State Route 164 in Beaver Township will close for 90 days beginning May 2 for a $3.4 million bridge replacement over Interstate 680, Reich announced.
A major project that began in April 2014 and will end in November 2016 is the $16.9 million rehabilitation of the bridge carrying U.S. Route 62 over state Route 289, the Mahoning River and railroad tracks in Youngstown.
One lane of traffic is being maintained in each direction on U.S. Route 62, but the entrance and exit ramps at Himrod and South avenues will remain closed through late fall.
In a contract to be awarded in July and estimated at $4.4 million, Interstate 76 will be repaved between Bailey Road and the Portage County line.
In a $1.7 million contract, state Route 45 between Mahoning Avenue and the Trumbull County line and state Route 46 from just south of Kirk Road to just south of the Trumbull County line will be resurfaced between May and July.
Mahoning County Engineer Patrick Ginnetti announced the $1 million repaving of Bailey Road between Mahoning Avenue and the Trumbull County line to be completed this year, with 90 percent of the cost paid for by the federal government, and with a 10 percent local match.