The Ohio Department of Transportation unveiled a new highway project Thursday that involves reconfiguring the central interchange in Akron.
The $40 million project isn’t expected to start until 2021, but it will come on the heels of ongoing construction along Interstates 76/77 in the city.
It also guarantees that highway motorists there will face orange barrels and slowdowns for years.
About 100,000 vehicles each day use the central interchange, where Interstates 76 and 77 and state Route 8 meet in a jumble of ramps.
Curtis Baker, interim director of the Akron Metropolitan Area Transportation Study, said he understands that motorists may grumble about the work but the project is needed.
“Get used to it,” he said. “This is the major rehab work that needs to take place after the life of the highway has been exhausted.”
The state agency is proposing to:
• Change the curve of the ramps for I-76 east to state Route 8 north and I-76 west to I-77 south to allow for faster vehicle speeds.
• Modify the ramp from I-76 west to Route 8 north.
• Adjust I-76 westbound within the central interchange because of the ramp changes.
• Remove the I-76 westbound exit ramp to Inman Street/Johnston Street.
• Remove the I-77 southbound exit ramp to Lovers Lane.
• The Lafollette Street Bridge over I-77 is proposed to either be replaced with a new, longer bridge at the same location, removed and not replaced, or removed and replaced with a new bridge over I-77 at Kipling Street.
ODOT will host an open house to show off maps, exhibits and preliminary plans, and gather public feedback from 5 to 7 p.m. Oct. 27 at Glover Elementary School, 935 Hammel St.
There will be no formal presentation, and people can arrive at any time.
ODOT originally announced plans to retool the central interchange in 2006 — a $275 million effort that included work now taking place along the expressway.
Instead of moving forward with the larger project, the state agency opted to bite it off in pieces.
The original plan included taking many private properties around the central interchange.
It’s unclear how much property the state will have to acquire for the new project. ODOT spokesman Justin Chesnic said the design has yet to be finalized, but it isn’t expected to be many sites and they likely will be around Lafollette Street.
Akron-area motorists have been dealing with massive highway projects for years.
That work includes ongoing construction at the South Main Street/South Broadway interchange with I-76/77, the removal of the bridges over Johnston and Spicer streets, and the retooling of the Kenmore leg of I-76.
ODOT also plans to replace the state Route 8 bridge that spans the Little Cuyahoga River valley and links Akron with its northern suburbs, perhaps as soon as 2020.
The projects are part of more than $500 million worth of ODOT road and bridge construction planned in Summit County over the next several years.
Rick Armon can be reached at 330-996-3569 or rarmon@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter at @armonrickABJ .