PERRYSBURG, OH (WTOL) -A long summer of construction and a headache of a detour is winding down for drivers in the I-75 and I-475 interchange; ODOT says it's almost done.
While drivers have been finding other ways to get to work or their favorite restaurant, workers have been making some big changes to the area.
Two exits have been closed since late May, but WTOL's Tim Miller was given special access to the new ramp that will take I-75 south drivers to route 25. Also, a separate exit has been built to take drivers north on I-475.
A dangerous traffic weave, where drivers going in those directions had to cross in front of each other, has been eliminated.
“I think the engineers that designed it, I think it was probably a simple fix when it came down to it. They put a little thought into it but we had the real estate to work with here, where we could move things around and make that separation," said Brian French, Area Engineer for ODOT.
For traffic that will be coming from I-75 north to I-475, just this past Friday a new bridge deck was poured.
ODOT had to dig out a big hill to be able to build the new bridge, which is the biggest and most time-consuming part of this project.
“I've been doing this for a while so it's kind of standard stuff, but when you start to see things you actually build and you start to see it come together, it's rewarding,” said French said.
Big question from drivers: When will the exit to I-75 north be reopened as well as the one from I-75 north to I-475, and Route 25?
ODOT says it is right on schedule and the 120 days set aside for the project will be up in just over a month. You can expect the exits to reopen around September 28.
“Maybe we can provide a little bit of a flicker of light at the end of the tunnel, I hope,” said French.
One big reason they've made a lot of progress is the dry weather. French is hoping for more of it as the project works to a close.
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