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Bridges closing over turnpike
CANFIELD
Bridges that carry state routes over the Ohio Turnpike will close this week for repairs to be performed by the turnpike and are scheduled to reopen later this month, according to the Ohio Department of Transportation.
Weather permitting, the bridge that carries state Route 46 and U.S. Route 62 over the turnpike in Canfield will close for three weeks beginning Monday, the turnpike announced.
The combined U.S. and state route carries about 9,800 vehicles daily in the vicinity of the bridge at the northern Canfield city limit, according to Justin Chesnic, ODOT public information officer.
The official detour will be U.S. Route 224 to state Route 11 to Interstate 80.
Brian Newbacher, turnpike public-information officer, said it would be possible to close half of that bridge at a time and maintain one lane of traffic in each direction during repairs, but he said the traffic disruption time would be doubled if that were to be done.
“Generally speaking, it’s less expensive to do projects like this all at once, instead of one half at a time,” he explained.
“We appreciate the impact this will have on local commuters, but it’s short-term pain for longer-term gain.”
The Raccoon Road bridge over the turnpike in Canfield reopened Friday, two days ahead of schedule.
The contractor is not permitted to close more than one Mahoning County bridge over the turnpike at a time, Newbacher said.
On Wednesday, the bridge that carries state Route 303 over the turnpike in Braceville will close and remain closed through May 24.
The detour will be state Route 88 to state Route 82.
Between Monday and late June, there will be lane restrictions for a $1.7 million project to repave state Route 45 between Mahoning Avenue and the Trumbull County line and state Route 46 from just south of Kirk Road to the Trumbull County line.
In another project this week, state Route 616 between Oak Street and McGuffey Road in Youngstown will close Monday and remain closed until May 20 for a culvert replacement.
The detour will be state Route 304 to state Route 7 and U.S. Route 62 to U.S. Route 422.
Beginning May 16 and continuing through mid-June, the bridge carrying U.S. Route 224 over the turnpike in Canfield will be reduced to one lane in each direction while the turnpike performs bridge repairs.
ODOT also announced Friday that the New Road bridge over state Route 11 in Austintown has reopened, as has state Route 14 at Lisbon Road in Washingtonville.