ODOT, Mayor Shammas Malik mark completion of Akron Beltway reconstruction

Описание: After four years of construction, the $160 million Interstate 76/Interstate 77 Akron Beltway reconstruction project is now complete.

The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday morning at the west entrance to the Rubber City Heritage Trail Pedestrian Bridge over I-77, near Lafollette Street and Burkhardt Avenue.

"This project has been a long time in the making, and we are very excited to get it across the finish line," said ODOT District 4 Deputy Director Gery Noirot.

ODOT began the project in 2021 with the goal of making substantial improvements around the Akron Beltway.

Work included pavement replacement and the addition of lanes on I-77 between U.S. 224 and State Route 8, pavement replacement on I-76/I-77 from Princeton Avenue to the I-77/State Route 261 interchange, and pavement replacement on I-76, I-77 and State Route 8 at the Central Interchange.

Crews also resurfaced State Route 8, added a southbound lane between Carroll Street and Beacon Street, and re-aligned left-hand turn ramps — including I-76 westbound to I-77 southbound and I-76 eastbound to State Route 8 northbound — to improve turn radius.

Akron Mayor Shammas Malik attended the ribbon-cutting and called the completed project "a marvel of modern engineering."

He added that those who travel on the Akron Beltway will be "even safer. Those are lives that are not going to be lost. Those are injuries that are not going to happen. Those are time out of folks' days and economic costs that are not going to happen. It really is invaluable."

"I'm pleased we had a safe project that came in on time. I'm even happier knowing that motorists in the city of Akron and all who drove drive through this interchange will have a safer, less congested commute for years to come," Noirot added.


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