“This work is weather dependent,” said ODOT District 7 Public Information Officer Loryn Bryson. “Drivers could see the (southbound) shift as early as Thursday morning as the shift is scheduled to take place overnight on the 16th. If the weather does cause a delay, we will continue to work with the contractor to make sure the shift is done as soon as possible once it is safe to do so.”
A contraflow lane is when the left-most lane splits off by itself, separated by a concrete barrier for a few miles. That allows construction work to be done in what normally would be the left lane and adjacent areas, while drivers navigate concrete barriers tight on either side. Vehicles that use the contraflow lane are unable to use right-hand exit ramps during that stretch.
While drivers will no longer see the contraflow lane, Bryson said there are still shifts in both directions from U.S. 35 to Ohio 741, and drivers are encouraged to stay alert as the site is still an active work zone.
The contraflow south of downtown will not be reinstated as work continues in 2025, but there will be intermittent lane closures in the winter, and lane closures in the next phase, come springtime, ODOT said. The entire project is scheduled for completion in late summer 2025.
Credit: JIM NOELKER
Credit: JIM NOELKER
When the southbound change happens this week, the entrance ramp from Dryden Road to I-75 south will open to traffic.
According to an ODOT statement, on the night of Monday, Oct. 21, crews are expecting to also shift northbound travel into a normal traffic pattern with three travel lanes south of Ohio 741. When the northbound change happens next week, the exit ramp from I-75 south to Dryden Road will open.
As the changes happen this week and next week, there will be a slight shift of lanes on the section of I-75 between U.S. 35 and Ohio 741. Traffic will be moved to the outside edges to allow for repairs on the Ohio 741 bridge between now and the end of 2024. Once that is completed, the lanes will slide back over to the normal spot, with shoulders available.
Bryson said crews are currently engaging in bridge and lighting work, along with the installation of cable rail down the median between northbound and southbound lanes.
The multiyear ODOT project south of downtown has entailed tearing up and replacing the 3-mile stretch of interstate, a project with a total cost of $47 million. ODOT planning engineer Ben Wiltheiss previously told the Dayton Daily News this section of I-75 has seen “a much more rapid decline” than normal, as degrading base pavement makes surface repaving fixes less effective.
The separate I-75 reconstruction project immediately north of downtown Dayton has a longer timeframe and is expected to continue into 2027.
Credit: JIM NOELKER
Credit: JIM NOELKER
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