(From the Ohio Department of Transportation)

Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) Director Jack Marchbanks, Ph.D., officially kicked off highway construction season in Findlay.

Marchbanks met with the media for the kickoff event, held at the County Road 99 interchange with Interstate 75 in Findlay, where a project will begin this year to construct a diverging diamond interchange (DDI).

Along with Marchbanks, ODOT District 1 Deputy Director Chris Hughes, and ODOT District 2 Deputy Director Pat McColley provided remarks.

Statewide, ODOT is kicking off a record construction season, investing $2.8 billion into 950 road and bridge improvement projects across the state. There are 39 projects classified as “major projects” with a value above $10 million. 

Also on Tuesday, a public informational meeting was held at Owens Community College in Findlay about the interchange.

ODOT construction engineer Dan Niese says they chose a diverging diamond interchange because they move traffic so well.    

A DDI shifts the eastbound and westbound traffic to the other side of the bridge at signalized crossovers which eliminates left turns across traffic and the left-turn traffic signal phase. The benefit is that all traffic can enter the interstate in a free-flow movement to the ramps.

Visit the project website for further details: I-75/CR 99 interchange improvements | Ohio Department of Transportation

He says construction will start in about three weeks and the interchange should be finished in 2026.