The orange barrels along I-75 in Findlay will slowly become a thing of the past, as the $114 million dollar project is in its final weeks.
Early Monday (August 17th) morning, motorists will be able to take the new ramps that connect state routes 68 and 15 to I-75. This is the final large piece of the construction puzzle the Ohio Department of Transportation began 4 years ago. A five-mile stretch of interstate between County Road 99 and Harrison Street will be three lanes and the on and off-ramps have been redesigned to make travel safer.
“We use to have the very tight loop ramp which was notorious for vehicles running off and trucks tipping over and it was a very dangerous situation,” says Chris Hughes, ODOT Dist. 1 Deputy Director. “So, we’re standing right now in the middle of a fully modern interchange which should move traffic very efficiently and very safely and serve this area for decades to come.”
ODOT’s mission is the safe movement of people and goods from place to place. While safety has improved because of this project, the department's director Jack Marchbanks says the revamped area is a big boom for Findlay and Ohio’s economy.
“This is one of the busiest freight quarters in the country and the busiest in Ohio,” says Director Jack Marchbanks, Ohio Department of Transportation. “So, to be able to facilitate the safe movement of freight through this area is going to not only benefit the local citizens in terms of our own safety, but it's going to make Findlay a more attractive area for businesses to locate.”
Findlay Mayor Christina Muryn sees the improved stretch of highway as a great way to welcome people to the Flag City.
“So we know that even if people are just traveling through or coming to visit, having an efficient and safe route for them to get into our community is really important,” says Mayor Christina Muryn. “We know that is going to continue to spur development. I think the important thing to, is when you're trying to attract businesses and residents, they want to see that you're investing in the community and infrastructure and that's really beneficial especially for businesses as they continue to look for where they can invest.”
ODOT is not totally done in Findlay, they have a few smaller items to get finished up and they are planning to be completely done in October. Hughes says that the next big project around Findlay will be improving the interchange at County Road 99 and I-75.
