The Ohio Department of Transportation continues to work on Interstate 75. Rob White is Project Engineer and a part of the team that is reconstructing one of the busiest roads in the state.

“So what you're looking at behind us is our next phase of the Blanchard River Bridge. This is the right structure. We have two bridges built side by side. They are working on decking it now. The beams are set, so we are getting ready to place re-barb (that) would be the next step and then ultimately pour a deck and open it to traffic,” White said.

The project began about two years ago and is expected to be finished at the end of 2020. It'll cost an estimated $114 million and is funded through federal and state dollars.

“The original interstate is basically at the end of its life. It's failing, not in terms of it falling apart, but in terms of today's traffic. It can't keep up with today's traffic capacity," he said.

Some of the largest portions of the project include reconstructing five miles of the existing four lanes along I-75 and adding an additional third lane on both sides.
They're also replacing all mainline bridges and the Harrison Street overpass to help make it safer for drivers.

“When the roads were constructed, they were based off of much smaller and slower vehicles versus today's more modern and commercial traffic, so increased speed limits mean that traffic is moving faster, so we need a roadway that can handle that by softening curbs and by adding additional lanes and width to those lanes just to accommodate today's traffic,” he said.

If you are driving along the interstate, be sure to watch for detours and don't forget to check your gas gauge.  ODOT said there have been a few instances where drivers have become stuck after failing to fuel up.