Motorists eager to use the new U.S. 20A interchange on I-475/U.S. 23 will likely have to wait until spring for that opportunity.
The interchange on Maumee’s west side, with the roadway known in the city as Illinois Avenue and in neighboring Monclova Township as Maumee-Western Road, was built as part of a $102 million freeway widening project and was originally supposed to open in the fall.
But when it became uncertain whether everything would be done before winter arrived, the Ohio Department of Transportation and contractor Kokosing Construction Co. prioritized opening all lanes on the freeway while leaving the ramps’ openings to the vagaries of winter weather.
ODOT cautioned more than a month ago that the ramps might not open before 2025. With winter coming to life this week, it’s now looking more like springtime, when final paving on the northbound side is also planned.
“At this point, I think it will be spring, March, or April before the interchange is open,” Mike Benton, ODOT’s project engineer, said this week. “It will probably be February before the signals and lights are ready. Then there is some weather-sensitive striping that would need done.”