FINDLAY, Ohio — A big upgrade is on the way for a busy I-75 interchange in Findlay.
After years of planning, ODOT has secured the $23.9 million dollars to reconfigure the County Road 99 I-75 overpass into a diverging diamond. The existing bridge will remain, but a second bridge will be built next to it, which will allow traffic to move in a criss-cross pattern.
"There may be certain times where we'll have to have that closed, but for the vast majority of the time, we'll have access across I-75 on County Road 99 as we build the new bridge," said Chris Hughes, ODOT District 1 Deputy Director. "And then at times we'll have to flip traffic to the new bridge to work on the old bridge."
The project will not only improve safety, but will relieve congestion that has been building over the years as more new industrial development has been established on the north end of Findlay.
"Things have just been exploding up there," Hughes said. "So as we experience that traffic, this is just really to make sure that can handle that traffic that we're seeing, and future growth."
And the project goes beyond the overpass itself.
The plans also include the widening of County Road 99 from Technology Drive to Main Street, allowing for turn lanes to be available through that stretch.
These upgrades will not only alleviate current congestion, but are expected to make it easier to bring in future developments.
"Certainly the level of service at that interchange is important for any new company that is looking at considering Findlay," said Dan Sheaffer, director of Findlay-Hancock County Economic Development. "On the east side where the industrial growth is occurring, this will be a game changer. And then on the west side for residential growth."
ODOT plans on having a contractor attached to this project by the beginning of next year, with construction kicking off in the spring of 2024.