CLEVELAND — The Ohio Department of Transportation announced this week the installation of a wrong-way detection system on a stretch of highway that includes parts of Interstates 71 and 90 in Cuyahoga County. 

What You Need To Know

  • ODOT is installing a wrong-way detection system on a stretch of Interstates 71 and 90

  • A similar system was installed in Cincinnati, and alerted 50 drivers who nearly entered I-71 the wrong way

  • The system is expected to be installed in 2023 at a cost of $1.8 million

The wrong-way detection system is expected to be installed in 2023. 

ODOT said the system will be installed on a 22-mile stretch of freeway between West 150th Street and East 140th Street. The system will consist of “wrong-way” signs that flash when activated among 50 detection devices at 25 locations.

The area was selected based on a statewide analysis of wrong-way crashes that occurred between 2016 to 2019, ODOT said.

“This project is an important step forward in reducing wrong-way crashes by adding an extra layer to alert drivers they’re driving in the wrong direction,” said ODOT District 12 Deputy Director John Picuri. “Once constructed, we will evaluate the effectiveness of this system and determine if other corridors in northeast Ohio could benefit from a similar system in the future.”

A similar system was installed fall 2019 in the Cincinnati area on an 18-mile stretch of I-71. According to ODOT, the detection system has been activated more than 50 times. Most of the time, the potential wrong-way drivers have turned around before entering the freeway. 

The total cost of the project is expected to be $1.8 million. 

Related Stories