TOLEDO, Ohio — The Ohio Department of Transportation kicked off highway construction season right here in Toledo on Monday.
Across the state, more than 950 road construction projects will be underway and 50 of them are right here in northwest Ohio.
Some are already ramping up, as ODOT kicks off its construction season.
Pretty soon some of those orange barrels will be a thing of the past.
One of the major projects is the I-475 and Dorr Street interchange which started in 2019. ODOT director Jack Marchbanks says this project is something that's been talked about for years and will soon be done.
"It was seen as a dream, but it was something that people wanted and we saw the merit in the project," said Marchbanks.
He says the goal of this, and every project, is to improve travel and quality of live.
By the end of August, those orange cones will be traded in for a steady stream of traffic.
"The goal is that the interchange will be open and functional by the time the 2021 Solheim Cup starts," ODOT District 2 Deputy Director Pat McColley said.
According to McColley, there is an international tie to this interchange that's not often seen in construction projects. That's thanks to the Solheim Cup being held at Inverness Club later this year, making the push to get this done even greater.
"To look at how we can route spectator traffic during that event and having this exchange and some of the logistics that are being put in place to make that a pleasant experience for everyone is just fantastic," said Dr. Greg Kasper, president at Inverness Club.
ODOT says this project is one of the top ones in the state because of the event and the community support it has received.
Even though the Dorr Street interchange will be completed and drivable by the Solheim Cup, ODOT says the project in its entirety will not be done until this time next year.
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