Highway motorists be warned: A big closure is coming this weekend to Akron and more are looming.
The Ohio Department of Transportation is shutting down Interstate 77 southbound just east of the Kenmore leg of Interstate 76 to make repairs to the concrete pavement.
That’s where I-77 merges into I-76 on the west side of the city.
That southbound portion of I-77 will be closed from 7 p.m. Friday to 6 a.m. Monday. The northbound lanes will remain open.
The closure will have a big impact as more than 90,400 vehicles a day travel that stretch.
The state agency needs to shut down all the southbound lanes because of the rough condition of the road and a convenient detour there involving the Kenmore leg, ODOT spokesman Justin Chesnic said.
ODOT is recommending that drivers use I-76 and Interstate 277/U.S. Route 224 as a detour.
The work may spill into a second weekend, Chesnic added.
The on-ramp from state Route 261/Vernon Odom Boulevard to I-77 southbound in that area also will be closed.
The road work and closures, which are dependent on the weather, are part of a $2.2 million project to make concrete pavement repairs on the highway. The project is scheduled to be completed by August.
Meanwhile, ODOT is getting ready to permanently close the on- and off-ramps from Grant Street to I-76/77 and shut down the Grant Street bridge over the highway for repairs.
The nearby Wolf Ledges Parkway bridge will reopen when the Grant Street bridge closes.
The ramp closures mean that motorists who want to access downtown Akron from I-76/77 likely will use the South Main Street/South Broadway interchange, which also is under construction.
Chesnic said the closures are tentatively set for June 14.
ODOT decided to permanently shut down the Grant and Wolf Ledges ramps to reduce merging in that busy stretch of highway.
The ramp and bridge work along I-76/77 is part of an $84 million construction project that includes rebuilding the South Main/South Broadway interchange.
Rick Armon can be reached at 330-996-3569 or rarmon@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter at @armonrickABJ .