Latest news with #OhioTurnpikeCommission
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
More road construction — and workers –expected this season than in years past
CANFIELD, Ohio (WKBN) – If you think you're seeing more orange cones and barrels and road construction zones this season, you're right. 'There's definitely more activity out there than there has been in the last few years,' said Matt McMullen, superintendent of the Ohio Turnpike Commission. It's National Work Zone Awareness Week, and workers were in action along the Ohio Turnpike in Canfield on Thursday. Since 2020, the Ohio State Highway Patrol has handled nearly 23,000 crashes in construction areas — 1,200 of them just on the turnpike. In all, 8,348 workers were hurt and 104 killed in Ohio work zone crashes in the last five years. 'Every day you're out here is, head on a swivel — ready to react,' McMullen said. The flagger with this crew even carried an air horn to warn the others in case a vehicle came into the zone. McMullen is a 30-year veteran on the turnpike and says a lot has changed, with more drivers having less focus on the road ahead. 'Cell phones weren't popular back then. They didn't do what they did and there's certainly a lot of distractions out there that weren't here 25 years ago,' he said. Although technology in newer cars — such as lane assistance and slowing you down automatically as you get closer to something in front of you — may make driving more convenient, experts worry it can also make us more complacent. Officials remind us to put down our phones, watch our speed and avoid tailgating vehicles in front of us. 'Keep in mind that the highway patrol will have units out daily in and around the construction zones,' said Lt. Philip Robinson, with the Ohio State Highway Patrol. For those who forget or just ignore the rules, the penalties will be stiff. 'It's something that you need to take into consideration before you drive into a construction zone. Fines are doubled when the construction zone is active,' Robinson said. All of this is aimed at ensuring road workers go home to their families when their shifts are over. Overhead bridge project: Bridge at Boardman-Canfield Road/US Route 224 (milepost 227.6) will be replaced. Start date is April 1, 2025, end date is August 16, 2026. Traffic will be maintained on the bridge with one lane in each direction. Pavement replacement project: From milepost 212.76 to 216.25. Start date is April 1, 2025, end date is November 4, 2025. Two lanes of traffic will be maintained in each direction. The Toll Plaza 215 (Lordstown-West) eastbound exit ramp will be closed for 60 days starting in August. List: All scheduled projects on the Ohio Turnpike throughout the state Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Canfield bridge replacement will impact fair traffic
CANFIELD, Ohio (WKBN) – We are learning more about a year-long bridge replacement project in Canfield that is coming up for the spring construction season. The Ohio Turnpike bridge at Boardman-Canfield Road/U.S. Route 224 will be replaced during the 2025 and 2026 construction seasons. The existing bridge will be replaced in phases and traffic will be maintained during the project. According to the Ohio Turnpike Commission, the contractor will begin having access to the site on March 3 and work may begin after that date, however, a detailed schedule has not been submitted yet. The bridge will be replaced in two phases — the east side and the west side. Two lanes of traffic in each direction on Route 224 will change to one lane on the exiting westbound lanes of the bridge. Once the traffic pattern is set, the east side of the bridge will be removed and replaced. Then phase two can start with traffic moving onto the new lanes and work on the west side of the bridge will begin. Access to all businesses will be maintained. With the bridge continuing through the Canfield Fair, which is over Labor Day weekend, drivers might want to use the State Route 11 interchange at U.S. Route 224, which has direct access to the fairgrounds. The bridge project is expected to be done before Aug. 16, 2026. Gerry Ricciutti contributed to this report. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Truckers name Ohio service plaza best in U.S.
BEREA, Ohio (WKBN) – Truckers have named an Ohio Turnpike Service Plaza as the overall winner of the Top 100 Truck Stops in the U.S. The Ohio Turnpike's Tiffin River Service Plaza in West Unity took the top spot. The Ohio Turnpike Commission announced the ranking it pulled from Trucker Path, a mobile app for North American truckers. The ranking is based on offerings and customer service. Tiffin River features a truckers lounge — a 110-space commercial truck parking lot — separate restrooms, complimentary showers, coin-operated washers and dryers, a food court and a convenience store. The nation's top truck-stop chains and independent facilities were chosen by more than one million drivers using the Trucker Path app. The Tiffin Plaza was also in the top five of independent truck stops. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
