“The third lane will help to increase capacity in this corridor, thus allowing for more vehicles to move safer and more efficiently through the area,” ODOT spokeswoman Mandi Dillon said in an email.
On a very short-term basis, guardrail repair is expected to cause a detour from 8 to 10 p.m. Tuesday as the U.S. 35 eastbound exit ramp to I-75 southbound closes, ODOT said.
Officials said the detour will involve U.S. 35 eastbound traffic going to I-75 northbound instead, then getting off at Second Street/First Street (Exit 53) and following signs to I-75 southbound.
On a more long-term project, motorists can expect periodic single- and double-lane closures on U.S. 35 eastbound between Steve Whalen Boulevard and I-675 in Beavercreek starting Wednesday, ODOT said.
Those periodic lane closures will run through Aug. 31. Eastbound U.S. 35 lanes will also experience nightly intermittent double-lane closures from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. in preparation for Phase 3 of the project on that section, transportation officials said.
When work started about two years ago, the average daily traffic count in the corridor was 79,810 vehicles, Dillon said. The project was designed for traffic volumes in 2040 that are estimated to be 85,440 vehicles per day, she added.
The project will also maximize bridge clearance under Woodman Drive, construct a new median wall, and widen the shoulder on that stretch of freeway, according to ODOT.
It also includes resurfacing the westbound Woodman entrance ramp to 35. Drivers can expect short-term ramp and lane closures during the project, officials said.
Barrett Paving Materials Inc. was awarded the contract in June 2020. The project is scheduled for completion this fall, Dillon said.
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