Thursday, May 18, 2017
By SARAH LEHR
slehr@vindy.com
GIRARD
Expect to see orange cones if you’re driving on or near Interstate 80 for a long time. A cluster of closures and lane restrictions are in effect simultaneously.
Many of the traffic complications result from the widening of I-80 between state Route 11 and state Route 193. The $91.5 million dollar project, which is set for completion by July 2018, affects Liberty, Girard and Austintown.
Workers also are replacing bridges on the interstate.
Traffic in the eastbound lane between Salt Springs Road and U.S. Route 422 has been shifted over to the westbound lane.
There are also lane restrictions at I-80 eastbound between state Route 11 and state Route 193 (Belmont Avenue).
On Tuesday, officials shut down the ramps from U.S. Route 422 to I-80 westbound and from state Route 11 southbound to I-80 eastbound will be closed. Those ramps will be off-limits until December.
In the meantime, drivers can take detours from Interstate 680 southbound to state Route 711 northbound to Route 422 or from Route 422 to Route 711 southbound to I-680 northbound to I-80 westbound.
Beginning Friday, traffic at Liberty Street between Motor Inn Drive and Belmont Avenue will be confined to one lane. The restriction, which will allow for bridge construction, should last through August.
Brent Kovacs, spokesman for District 4 of the Ohio Department of Transportation, said logistics compelled the agency to schedule so many ramp closures at one time. If ODOT had staggered more of the closures, the project would have taken an additional year to complete, he said.
“We understand that construction projects are inconvenient, but we do need to update these roads in a way that’s timely and will make driving better for the public,” Kovacs said, noting that I-80 widening would free up the traffic flow.
As part of a separate, but nearby project, ODOT has also imposed lane restrictions at I-80 and U.S. Route 62 in Hubbard and Brookfield townships. The $9,8 million project, which involves resurfacing, bridge repairs and bridge widening, should wrap up by November.
Liberty resident Chris Conway has been using detours to escape traffic jams, though he occasionally cannot avoid a headache on I-80.
“It’s scary because you’re next to that concrete barrier and you’ve got semis flying past you like there’s no tomorrow,” Conway said. “You’ve got to hope for the best and prepare for the worst.”
Girard resident Annie Tomlinson believes infrastructure improvements will be worth the temporary fuss.
Still, she’s eager for the roadwork to come to an end.
“It’s fun when you can’t get on, and you can’t get off [the interstate],” Tomlison said ruefully.
Acting Girard police Chief Capt. John Norman said that, other than “a few fender-benders,” the construction’s effect on his police department has been minimal.
He did urge drivers to be particularly careful when merging onto I-80 from Route 711, since traffic on that part of I-80 has at times come to a standstill.
“The No. 1 priority is the safety of the workers,” Norman said.
People should leave early if they expect to be driving through the affected areas. Rush hour – from 6 to 10 a.m. and from 4 to 8 p.m. – can be particularly daunting.
Upcoming holiday weekends, including long weekends for Memorial Day, Fourth of July and Labor Day, are likely to see increased congestion.
Interstate 80, which runs from California to New Jersey, is one of the country’s busiest highways.
Hubbard Township police Chief Todd Coonce says careful driving is of heightened importance during construction season.
“They [drivers] need to put all their distractions aside and focus,” Coonce said. “We know darn well that people are out there talking on their phones.”