The Ohio Department of Transportation says construction along Interstate 76/77 just west of the Central Interchange in Akron is going smoothly.
The work — which involved closing highway ramps, removing the bridges over Johnston and Spicer streets, and replacing the bridge deck over Brown Street — is more than halfway completed.
“Everything is on schedule,” ODOT spokesman Brent Kovacs said Friday.
The ramps that have been closed are expected to reopen in late November, although the full $15.6 million project won’t be wrapped up until July 2017.
About 100,000 vehicles travel that area each day, and there are regular backups because of the construction. Many motorists also have been forced to take lengthy detours.
“Motorists have been driving this for years and years, and anything that’s new is a big challenge for them,” Kovacs said.
Two lanes are open in each direction, but there is no shoulder.
On Friday morning, a sport utility vehicle ran out of gas in one of the eastbound lanes, leading to a backup.
Karvo Cos., which is overseeing the project, had some advice for motorists to make the travel through the area go smoother.
“If the public would slow down, pay attention to the signs and they’d stay off their cellphones in a construction zone, that would be great,” project manager Ron Carcelli said.
The speed limit through the zone is 45 mph, but most people are going much faster unless traffic grinds to a halt.
One of the more interesting aspects of the project was the removal of the Johnston and Spicer bridges.
Instead of replacing them, workers packed more than 100,000 cubic yards of dirt and granular fill underneath and around the interstate and created a giant embankment for the highway to sit on.
ODOT determined that was a less costly alternative than replacing and maintaining new bridges.
The project also involved relocating some roadways and installing new curbs and sidewalks around the interstate.
Highway motorists will continue to encounter construction along the Akron Expressway for years to come.
The state agency is beginning work on retooling the I-76/77 interchange with South Main Street and South Broadway.
It also announced plans this week to reconfigure the Central Interchange starting in 2021.
Rick Armon can be reached at 330-996-3569 or rarmon@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter at @armonrickABJ .