Overpasses coming to Ohio 15

Overpasses on county roads 180, south of Findlay, and 169, near Vanlue, will be built by late October for $9.6 million, state officials reported Wednesday. The crash-reducing improvements and resurfacing of much of U.S. 30 in Hancock County were the highlights in a presentation by Ohio Department of Transportation officials. Site preparation is beginning this week near Ohio 15's intersections with county roads 169 and 180, said Dan Niese, construction engineer for ODOT. The Ohio 15-County Road 169 intersection will be closed beginning in early April. The intersection at County Road 180 will be closed beginning in May. Motorists will be given detour routes. The overpasses could be opened by the end of October. There will be no entrance or exit ramps for county roads 180 and 169 at Ohio 15, Niese said. The point of the overpasses is to prevent motorists from trying to cross Ohio 15 on the two county roads. The crossing move has become more hazardous in recent years as Ohio 15 in Hancock County draws much more traffic than when it was built decades ago. "We're seeing more and more crashes at those intersections and unfortunately the crashes at those intersections typically result in serious injuries and fatalities," said Chris Hughes, deputy director of District 1 of ODOT. "So we are moving forward with plans to upgrade those highways and begin to eliminate at-grade intersections" like those at county roads 169 and 180. The state has not been alone in its effort. Hughes gave credit to Hancock County Engineer Douglas Cade and the Hancock County commissioners. "We rely a lot on our local partners," Hughes said. "We have been working with County Engineer Douglas Cade and his team for many years to bring this plan to reality." Cade helped officials determine which intersections should get overpasses. He also prevailed upon the County Engineers Association Highway Safety Improvement Program for a $2.4 million grant for the County Road 180 overpass. The county commissioners have contributed $500,000 to the County Road 180 overpass project. Both overpasses "are critical projects to improve the safety of our residents and those traveling through our community by eliminating the danger of those at-grade intersections and the high speeds that we have encountered at those intersections," Cade said. Ohio 15 "connects Hancock County to the rest of the region, and in fact, the rest of the country," he said. "Connecting our manufacturing and industrial economy is critical to the prosperity of our community." Construction of the County Road 169 overpass, to be entirely funded by the state, will cost $4.6 million. The contractor is Miller Bros Construction, of Archbold. Construction of the County Road 180 overpass will cost $5 million. Contractor for that project is Eagle Bridge Co., of Sidney. In addition, over nine miles of U.S. 30 — a total of 37 lane miles counting all four lanes — will be resurfaced from Ohio 235 to just east of U.S. 68. Work on the $6.7 million improvement is slated to start in May and be finished in October, ODOT reported. Temporary lane closures will occur during the work period. In addition, the traffic signal at the intersection of U.S. 224 and Township Road 237 will be upgraded for $309,750. Work is slated to begin in October and be completed in April 2024. Lane closures will occur occasionally during the work period.