Expanding I-475 is one of those rare opportunities where Toledo can choose progress over paralysis. For years, the region has wrestled with congestion, safety concerns, and the economic drag created by an interstate that no longer matches the needs of the people who rely on it. Widening I-475 isn’t just a construction project; it’s a strategic investment in the region’s future.
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When I-475 opened decades ago, northwest Ohio’s traffic patterns, population distribution, and commercial activity looked very different. Suburban growth in Sylvania, Holland, and Monclova and Springfield townships has surged. Major employers — from health-care systems to logistics hubs — depend on predictable travel times. Yet the freeway still narrows to four lanes with no shoulders in key stretches, creating daily bottlenecks that frustrate commuters and slow freight movement. A modern northwest Ohio can’t thrive on mid 20th-century infrastructure. The widening project acknowledges what everyone who drives the corridor already knows: demand has outgrown capacity…