Taking the turnpike? Expect road work in 5 counties

BEREA, Ohio (WJW) — Orange barrel season is upon us.

This week, National Work Zone Safety Awareness Week, Ohio Turnpike administrators are making drivers aware of where construction work is happening over the nine-month construction season.

Drivers are encouraged to:

• Follow other cars from a safe distance
• Follow the reduced speed limits in work zones
• Avoid distractions
• Pay attention to signs
• Be ready to slow down or stop

About $254 million in improvements are planned for the 241-mile toll road this year, most of which is new work starting this year. More than half of that money for roadway and bridge projects, including 92 miles of pavement resurfacing and work on 26 bridges.

“To limit delays for travelers on the Ohio Turnpike, we strive to maintain two lanes of traffic in all three lane sections of the turnpike during peak travel times,” Chris Matta, Ohio Turnpike Commission deputy executive director and chief engineer, is quoted in a news release. “Some single lane work zones will be necessary but will occur mostly during off-peak travel times or at night.”

Here’s a list of construction projects happening in Northern Ohio this year:

Erie County

Three bridge decks are expected to be replaced.

The mainline bridge over Skadden Road/state Route 99 at mile marker 111.2 will be re-decked from April to November. Motorists should expect two lanes of traffic.

The overhead bridges at Township Road 102, at mile marker 107.5, and Mudbrook Road/state Route 13, at mile marker 119.3, will be closed. A detour will be in place. Construction is expected to continue into 2025.

Lorain County

Three bridge decks are expected to be removed and replaced.

The on-ramp to Interstate 80 East at Toll Plaza 152 (North Olmsted-Cleveland) is slated to close from April 17 to sometime in August for bridge work on the eastbound side at mile marker 152.1.

The off-ramp from the turnpike to Lorain Road/state Route 10 will remain open. Motorists heading east can take a detour from Lorain Road north to Interstate 480 East to Interstate 71 South to Toll Plaza 161 (Strongsville-Cleveland).

Work will run from April to November at the mainline bridge at mile marker 152.3 eastbound that goes over Lorain Road. Motorists can expect to have two lanes during the project.

The Bagley Road bridge that runs above the turnpike at mile marker 152.9 is expected to be closed from April 29 through sometime in October. Motorists should follow the detour signs.

Read more about work happening in Lorain County this year on the Ohio Turnpike website .

Mahoning County

Work happening this year at the Eastgate Toll Plaza at mile marker 239 includes a bridge replacement, mainline resurfacing and the completion of pavement work.

Replacement of the overhead bridge at Boardman-Canfield Road/U.S. Route 224 at mile marker 227.6 is expected to continue into next year, and traffic will be maintained. Replacement will happen in phases.

All lanes in both directions are set for resurfacing from mile marker 230 to mile marker 236 between May and November. Traffic will go down to one lane, but not during peak driving hours.

Motorists can expect more improvements at the toll plaza this year, including the construction of open road tolling lanes for westbound traffic.

Summit and Portage counties

Bridge work over Tinkers Creek at mile marker 185.6 continues through the year and will pick back up in 2025 and 2026. Expect two lanes of traffic in the area.

Elsewhere in Portage County, concrete bridge decks are set for replacement over state Route 43 at mile marker 188.2 and over Bryant Road/Township Road 236 at mile marker 202.8.

A deck overlay is planned for the turnpike bridge at North Main Street, at mile marker 203.7, to repair the concrete surface as part of its ongoing rehabilitation. Expect two lanes of traffic while the project continues from April to November.

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