A new ramp configuration on Interstate 75 will open Saturday as part of the reconstruction and widening of the interstate through Findlay and Hancock County.

A new flyover ramp, which will carry I-75 southbound traffic onto U.S. 68/state Route 15 or to Lima Avenue, will replace the existing loop ramp. The new ramp is referred to as a flyover because the ramp is carried over I-75 traffic to make the connection to U.S. 68/state Route 15 or Lima Avenue.

Little impact to traffic is expected when the switch over is made, said Kirk Slusher, Ohio Department of Transportation District 1 deputy director. "We expect the transition to be rather seamless as new signage will clearly direct motorists onto the ramp,” he said. The switch is expected to occur during the day on either Monday or Tuesday of next week.

The opening of the flyover is a significant improvement in driver safety as it eliminates the tight loop ramp, which required drivers to slow significantly to negotiate the curve. Its opening also marks a milestone for the overall project. “Once the flyover is open, we can begin work on other key elements of the project which need to occur to keep the project moving,” said Slusher.

The flyover is the first new permanent traffic movement change on I-75 itself to be completed on the $114 million project.

Additional upcoming traffic impacts on I-75 are as follows:

• The I-75 northbound ramps at state Route 12 are expected to reopen Saturday, Nov. 10.
• The entrance ramp from U.S. 68/state Route 15 to I-75 southbound will close when the flyover ramp opens and will remain closed for the remainder of the project, through fall 2020. Traffic will be detoured to the state Route 12 interchange back to Interstate 75 southbound.
• By the end of 2018, traffic on I-75 from U.S. 224 to county Road 99 will travel on three lanes in each direction on intermediate pavement. The final layer of pavement will not be placed until the final year of construction in 2020.