Major road closing for 6 months

GROTON TWP. — Work on a toll road necessitates the closure of a local street for six months for both this year and next. Phase 1 of this two-year-long project begins Monday. For the following six months, commuters can't access a stretch of Skadden Road (Ohio 99) going under the Ohio Turnpike not far from a roundabout by Strawberry Hill Market at the Hayes Avenue (Ohio 4) intersection. "The Ohio Turnpike's mainline bridge over Skadden Road will be removed and replaced with a new concrete bridge deck," turnpike spokesman Charles Cyrill said. It's a similar project to one recently starting on Ohio 13 in Huron Township. The Ohio Turnpike also shut down a section of the area street spanning over the toll road. Cyrill provided some additional details on the Skadden Road project: The project: "The westbound lanes on the mainline turnpike bridge will be rebuilt. During repairs to the Ohio Turnpike mainline bridge, two lanes of traffic on the Ohio Turnpike will be maintained in both eastbound and westbound directions." The first closure: "The project is expected to be completed in October 2024. Skadden Road is scheduled to reopen in October 2024." The second closure: "Skadden Road is scheduled to close again in April 2025 to rebuild the Ohio Turnpike's eastbound bridge deck. The final completion date is October 2025." The detour: The state-recommended detour is: • Ohio 99 to Ohio 4 • Ohio 4 to U.S. 20 • The reverse order for traffic in the opposite direction The expense: "The cost to replace the bridge deck is about $4.85 million, which will be paid entirely by the Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission. The commission maintains more than 530 bridges in 13 counties across the 241-mile toll road." The caution: "The roadway construction season has begun. We are urging motorists to be self-aware of dangerous behaviors behind the wheel, such as aggressive and distracted driving, especially in work zones to reduce crashes." The safety measures: "To keep travelers and roadway construction workers safe, the turnpike commission is urging motorists to drive safely in and around work zones by: • Establishing a safe following distance • Obeying the work zone speed limit because of reduced lane widths, traffic lane shifts and narrow shoulders • Avoiding distractions • Paying attention to signs • Being prepared to slow down or stop"