Road Warrior: Weekend double-lane closings returning to I-75 near Monroe

It’s pavement patching season again on I-75 near Monroe, and that means major weekend traffic tie-ups are likely.

While the Michigan Department of Transportation is wrapping up the freeway’s reconstruction farther south this fall, the section between the Otter Creek Road (Exit 9) and Dixie Highway (Exit 15) interchanges isn’t going to rebuilt for a few years yet, and the old concrete pavement there continues to deteriorate.

MDOT had planned to close two of three northbound lanes between Otter Creek and I-275 this past weekend, starting at 6 a.m. Saturday and ending by 8 p.m. Monday. But apparently that plan was scuttled because of rain, and by midmorning Saturday, portable signs along the freeway had been changed to indicate this work will occur next weekend instead.

There’s a good chance similar lane closings will occur in that area later this fall, either northbound or southbound, but notice may not go out in time to warn of that work ahead of time in this space.

The double-lane closings allow work to occur in the center and right lanes simultaneously. The left lane doesn’t need nearly as much repair because it doesn’t get the same degree of punishment from tractor trailers.

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After an 8 a.m. Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority meeting last week, I overheard one board member comment to another about how unusually long it took her to get through downtown Toledo to the agency’s riverfront headquarters.

I noticed it, too. Driving from the Anthony Wayne Trail entrance to downtown to Summit and Cherry streets was a slog to say the least.

The Cherry/Summit intersection reconstruction, which had not begun the last time I made that trip at that hour, surely was a factor. It's pushing a lot of traffic to Erie Street, on top of vehicles already diverting away from downtown’s Broadway/Summit approach because of Broadway’s reconstruction in the South End.

Aggravating the delays Thursday morning was a building-supply company that had Erie’s right lane blocked between Adams and Jackson streets to unload materials from a truck. I don’t know if they needed permission to close a lane on Erie at that hour, but if so, such permission should never have been granted before 9:15 a.m.

And of course, losing a lane on that part of Erie wouldn’t have been so big a deal if not for the city’s recent layout change that eliminated a third lane north of Jefferson Avenue in favor of a bike lane and more curbside parking.

In discussions among colleagues and with sources, I’ve been a defender of the bike-lane initiative. Without dedicated lanes like the ones on Erie, Jefferson, and Michigan Street, bicycling in downtown Toledo is fraught with danger. Bicycling to and from downtown isn’t a practical option without safe routes.

But when you combined traffic “calming” with a major detour and an ill-conceived truck unloading operation, what had been an easy commute suddenly became irritating. Better coordination of the schedules for re-striping Erie and Michigan and rebuilding Cherry/Summit could have helped: doing the intersection project sooner, the street layout changes later, or some combination of both.

As it is, city officials should be looking at lengthening the green lights on Erie from Jefferson northward during the morning rush until Summit reopens. Shortening the greens for the minimal cross traffic on Jefferson, Madison Avenue, or Adams or Jackson streets should not be an issue at that time of day.

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• I-75: Lane closings are possible southbound between downtown Toledo and Glenwood Road in Rossford for finish work on recent reconstruction. Lane closings possible in Perrysburg for resurfacing. Lane closings possible at Lime City Road, north of the Ohio Turnpike, for work on the overpass.

• I-75: Southbound right lane closed at Hancock County Road 99, north of Findlay, for construction of a new ramp associated with interchange reconstruction. Other short-term lane closings are possible.

• I-75 (Mich.): Lane closings, Exit 5 (Erie) to north of Exit 9 (LaSalle), for roadway reconstruction. Southbound traffic is crossed over to the northbound side. The southbound exit ramp at Exit 9 (South Otter Creek) is closed. Use LaPlaisance Road (Exit 11) or Luna Pier Road (Exit 6) instead.

• Ohio Turnpike: Left lane closed westbound after I-280 for pavement repair. Eastbound lane closings in Williams County for pavement repair.

• I-280: Traffic shifts to the right between State Rts. 2 and 51 for median reconstruction. Two lanes are open in both directions, but nighttime lane closings are possible. The Woodville entrance to southbound I-280 is closed for slope work on the mainline near the ramp merge. Use the Navarre entrance instead.

• I-475/U.S. 23: No shoulders and traffic is shifted between U.S. 24 (Exit 4) and Angola Road for reconstruction and widening.

• U.S. 68/State Rt. 15: U.S. 68 and the eastbound ramps at the U.S. 68/Route 15 junction are closed for roundabout construction through October. A posted detour uses State Rts. 15, 37, and 103. Lane closings on State Rt. 15 between I-75 and State Rt. 103 for resurfacing.

• U.S. 23 (Mich.): Lane closings near Milan during roadway work and replacement of the Plank Road overpass.

• U.S. 20A/State Rt. 2: Closed at Main Street (westerly junction of State Rt. 64) in Swanton for sewer construction until mid-October. Detour via U.S. 20 between State Rts. 295 and 109. Route 64 detours via Routes 20A/2, 295, and 20.

• State Rt. 2: Lane closings west of State Rt. 163 in Ottawa County for slope repair through September. Exit ramps at State Rt. 269 will be closed this week through next weekend; use the easterly State Rt. 53 exits instead and take Route 163 to Route 269.

• U.S. 24: Lane closings possible between I-475 and Dutch Road for resurfacing. Short-term ramp closings may occur at I-475 and at Fallen Timbers Lane. Lane closings in Defiance and Paulding counties, between U.S. 127 and Ashwood Road, for pavement repair and slope stabilization, and for pothole patching between State Rt. 49 and the Indiana border.

• U.S. 24 (Fearing): Lanes closed between Airport Highway and Hill for overpass replacement. Consider Byrne Road as an alternative route between Airport and Hill.

• State Rt. 65: Closed until late October between Five Point and Roachton roads for a culvert replacement. Detour via State Rts. 582 and 25.

• Martin Luther King, Jr. Bridge: Reduced to one lane each way for repairs and reconfiguration related to the Glass City River Walk.

• State Rts. 65 (Summit) and 120 (Cherry): Summit closed for reconstruction between Jackson and Cherry, while Cherry is reduced to one lane each way between Huron and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Bridge. No left turn from westbound Cherry to Superior, and left turns from Cherry to Huron are nearly impossible during peak travel times.

• Broadway Street: All lanes except one inbound lane are closed to through traffic between Newbury Street and Western Avenue for street reconstruction. Western (State Rt. 2) remains closed at Broadway and several other cross streets also are closed nearby.

• Glendale Avenue: Culvert work requires lane closings between Fallbrook Road and Cherrylawn Drive until mid-October.

• U.S. 23/30: Right lane closed in both directions at the State Rts. 53/67 interchange on Upper Sandusky’s north side for pavement replacement.

• U.S. 6: Flag zones between U.S. 23 and State Rt. 53 in Sandusky County for resurfacing through October.

• State Rt. 582: Closed to through traffic between I-75 and State Rt. 25 for roundabout construction at an intersection east of Route 25 until early November. A posted detour will use Route 25, I-475, and I-75.

• McCord Road/Bancroft Street: Intersection closed for roundabout construction through late October. McCord detours to King between Central and Dorr, while Bancroft detours to Dorr between King and Holland-Sylvania.

• Monclova Road: Closed until mid-October to through traffic between Waterville-Monclova and Jerome roads for a bridge replacement. Detour via Waterville-Monclova, Stitt, Russel, and Jerome roads.

• Summit Street (Mich.): The I-75 Exit 2 Connector is restricted to a single lane governed by traffic signals for ongoing bridge work just north of I-75.