Ohio Turnpike

Ohio Turnpike
James W. Shocknessy Ohio Turnpike Maintained by OTC
Length:	241.26 mi (388.27 km)
Formed:	October 1, 1955[1]
West end:	I-80 / I-90 / Ind. Toll Rd. at Indiana state line
Major junctions:	I-75 near Toledo I-90 near Lorain I-480 near North Ridgeville I-71 near Cleveland I-77 near Akron I-480 near Streetsboro I-76 / I-80 near Youngstown
East end:	I-76 / Penna. Tpk. at Pennsylvania state line
Ohio highways Interstates - U.S. Routes - State Routes

The Ohio Turnpike (officially the James W. Shocknessy Ohio Turnpike) is a 241.26 mi (388.27 km)-long, limited-access toll highway in the U.S. state of Ohio, serving as a primary corridor to Chicago and Pittsburgh. The road runs east-west in the northern section of the state, from the Indiana Toll Road (at the Indiana-Ohio border near Bryan) to the Pennsylvania Turnpike (at the Ohio-Pennsylvania border near Petersburg).

Built from 1949 to 1955, construction for the roadway was completed a year prior to the Interstate Highway System. The modern Ohio Turnpike is signed as three interstate numbers: I-76, I-80, and I-90.

The road is owned and maintained by the Ohio Turnpike Commission, headquartered in Berea.

History

The westbound Ohio Turnpike

The Ohio General Assembly authorized the formation of the Ohio Turnpike Commission in 1949. The turnpike is named after the first chairman of the commission, James W. Shocknessy. Construction for the road cost $326 million and was recorded the biggest project in state history, with 10,000 employees, more than 2,300 bulldozers, graders, loaders and other machines over a 38-month period.^[1][2]

On December 1, 1954, the first 22-mile (35 km) stretch (the portion lying east of State Route 18) opened near the present-day exit 218 for I-76 and I-80. Several motorists attended a dedication ceremony, with over 1,000 people joining a caravan, following a snow plow and a patrol cruiser, to become the first to drive the turnpike. The remaining section from exit 218 west to Indiana opened October 1, 1955.^[3]

Originally, the turnpike offered 17 access points. Additional access points have since been provided, bringing the total number to 31.^[2]

In 1996, the turnpike began a project to add a lane in each direction from Toledo to Youngstown. The project, using financing from increased tolls, was originally projected to be finished in 2005, but in 2009 there were still short stretches without the added lanes – one at the west end of the project in Lucas and Wood Counties, and the other in Summit County at Exit 180 (State Route 8); those stretches are expected to be finished in 2011.^[4]

In 1998, the Ohio Turnpike Commission began phasing in distance-based exit numbers. The sequential numbering system was retired in September 2002.

Service plazas

Typical modernized service plaza

Last of the service plazas of the prior design

The Ohio Turnpike has had service plazas since its inception. Service plazas differ from typical freeway rest areas in that they offer amenities such as 24-hour food and fuel service, which means motorists do not have to pay the toll to exit, then re-enter when they have to re-fuel, use the restroom, or stop to eat.

In 1998, The Ohio Turnpike Commission began modernizing its service plazas, first demolishing the original plazas and then reconstructing them from the ground-up. In addition to modern restrooms, the new plazas offer several fast food choices, which vary between the plazas. They also include ATMs, gift shops, travel information counters, Wi-Fi internet access, and facilities for truck drivers, including shower facilities, lounge, and laundry areas. A fueling station provided by Valero is provided at each plaza. Facilities for overnight RV campers are provided at the service plazas located at mile markers 76, 139, and 197.^[5]

Service plazas are located in pairs (one for each side of the turnpike) near mile markers 49, 76, 100, 139, 170, 197, and 237. Presently, the service plazas located at mile markers 49 and 237 have not been modernized, and utilize the original buildings that opened with the turnpike in the 1950s, with later additions.

The service plazas located in Lucas County west of Toledo at mile marker 49 are the least utilized. The Ohio Turnpike Commission envisions the eventual demolition of these service plazas, and construction of new plazas between mile markers 20 and 49; the new facility will most likely be located in Fulton County^[6][7] and is expected to open after 2012.^[4]

Due to the lack of a municipal water/sewer system, the service plazas located near mile marker 20 in Williams County were demolished in 2006,^[8][7] though the Turnpike Commission expects to have new plazas at that location by 2010.^[4]

The plazas at mile 237 are expected to be rebuilt in 2012.^[4]

Law enforcement

Since the turnpike opened, the Ohio Turnpike Commission has contracted with the Ohio State Highway Patrol (District 10) to provide law enforcement, as well as assistance to disabled or stranded motorists. The Patrol is the only law enforcement agency with jurisdiction on the turnpike. It monitors Citizen's Band channel 9 for distress calls.

Truck speed limit

J.B. Hunt truck on the Ohio Turnpike in Hudson, Ohio.

In September 2004, the speed limit for heavy trucks was raised to 65 mph (105 km/h), creating a uniform speed limit for all traffic. For years, trucks had avoided the turnpike due to large toll increases in the 1990s, and because they could travel for free at the same speed on parallel highways such as State Route 2 and US 20. Truck traffic clogged the downtown shopping areas of US 20 towns such as Bellevue and Clyde, essentially driving away customers who didn't want to deal with the truck traffic; shopkeepers begged the state for relief for years.

Eventually, after prodding by Governor Bob Taft, the Ohio Turnpike Commission lowered truck tolls and implemented the uniform 65 mph (105 km/h) speed limit on September 8, 2004.^[9] Truck traffic levels on the turnpike are estimated to be 20% higher since the change was made. The turnpike's 65 mph (105 km/h) truck speed limit was unique in Ohio, as a 55 mph (89 km/h) statutory speed limit applied to trucks on every other highway in the state until the passage of House Bill Number 2 in 2009.^[10]

Proposed leasing

Ken Blackwell, the defeated candidate in the 2006 Ohio governor's race, had announced a plan for privatizing the turnpike, similar to plans enacted in Illinois and Indiana.^[11][12]

Toll structure

Standard Ohio Turnpike ticket, in this case for a Class 1 vehicle (two-axle car without trailer) entering at Exit 218

Tolls are based upon the distance traveled, as well as the type and weight of vehicle driven. As of January 2007^[update], the toll for a typical non-commercial passenger vehicle to travel the entire turnpike is $10.25.^[13]

The Ohio Turnpike Commission had been hesitant to deploy an electronic tolling system, citing an apparent lack of commuter travel as well as significant implementation expenses. In December 2006, the commission indicated their intention to move forward with the implementation of an E-ZPass-compatible system as a "customer convenience".^[14] The system was activated on October 1, 2009.^[15]

In 2009, the turnpike became the first publicly-owned toll facility in the U.S. – and the second overall – to allow users to pay tolls with a debit or credit card.^[16]

Toll funds diversion

In April 2008, governor Ted Strickland and legislative leaders announced a planned stimulus package that would redistribute Turnpike tolls to road projects throughout the state.^[17][18][19] On May 23, the Ohio Senate Finance Committee voted to pass a new version of the package which would not involve tolls collected.^[20]

Exit list

County	Location[21][22]	Old	New	Destinations[23][24][25]	Notes[26]
I-80 and I-90 continue into Indiana as the Indiana Toll Road
Williams	Northwest Twp.	1		SR 49	Diamond interchange with no ramp tolls. Motorists entering the Turnpike eastbound will immediately stop at the Westgate barrier. Those entering westbound will travel toll-free to the Indiana state line, then obtain a toll ticket at the Indiana Toll Road Eastpoint barrier.
	Northwest Twp.	1A	2	Westgate Toll Barrier	Prior to completion of the Indiana Toll Road, turnpike traffic emptied onto US 20 via a short access road just west of the original toll barrier, which was closer to the state line than the current barrier.[27] This access road is still visible.
	Jefferson Twp.	2	13	SR 15 - Bryan, Montpelier
Fulton	Franklin Twp.	2A	25	SR 66 - Archbold, Fayette	Opened November 13, 1998[28]
	Dover Twp.	3	34	SR 108 - Wauseon
	Pike Twp.	3B	39	SR 109 - Delta, Lyons	opened December 20, 1996[29]
Lucas	Monclova Twp.	3A	52	SR 2 - Toledo Airport, Swanton
	Maumee	4	59	US 20 - Maumee, Toledo	to I-475 and US 23.
Wood	Perrysburg	4A	64	I-75 - Perrysburg, Toledo
	Lake Twp.	5	71	I-280/SR 420 - Stony Ridge, Toledo
Ottawa	Harris Twp.	5A	81	SR 51 - Elmore, Woodville, Gibsonburg	Opened February 6, 1997[30]
Sandusky	Sandusky Twp.	6	91	SR 53 - Fremont, Port Clinton
Erie	Groton Twp.	6A	110	SR 4 - Sandusky, Bellevue	Opened December 15, 1994[31]
	Milan Twp.	7	118	US 250 - Sandusky, Norwalk
Lorain	Brownhelm Twp.	7A	135	Baumhart Road - Vermilion	Opened December 13, 1995[32]
	Amherst Twp.	7B	140	SR 58 - Amherst, Oberlin	Opened November 30, 2004[33]
	Eastern terminus of I-80/ I-90 concurrency
	Elyria Twp.	8A	142	I-90/SR 2 - Cleveland, Lorain County West	eastbound exit, westbound entrance.
	Elyria	8	145	SR 57 - Lorain, Elyria
	North Ridgeville	9A	151	I-480 - North Ridgeville, Cleveland	eastbound exit, westbound entrance.
		9	152	SR 10 - North Olmsted, Cleveland
Cuyahoga	Strongsville	10	161	I-71/US 42 - Strongsville, Cleveland
Summit	Richfield	11	173	I-77/SR 21 - Cleveland	direct access to I-77 opened December 3, 2001[34][35]
	Boston Heights	12	180	SR 8 - Akron
Portage	Streetsboro	13	187	- I-480/SR 14 - Streetsboro
	Shalersville Twp.	13A	193	SR 44 - Ravenna	Opened December 1, 1994[31]
Trumbull	Braceville Twp.	14	209	SR 5 - Warren
	Lordstown	14A	215	Ellsworth-Bailey Road - Lordstown West	Eastbound exit, westbound entrance; opened June 1993[36]
		14B	216	Hallock-Young Road - Lordstown East	Westbound exit, eastbound entrance.
Mahoning	North Jackson	15	218	I-76, I-80, County Route 18 - Niles, Youngstown	I-76 exits westbound and enters eastbound. I-80 exits eastbound and enters westbound. Toll road transfers from I-80 to I-76.
	Beaver Twp.	16B	232	SR 7 - Youngstown
		16A	234	I-680 - Youngstown, Poland	westbound exit, eastbound entrance.
	Springfield Twp.	16	239	Eastgate Toll Barrier
I-76 continues east into Pennsylvania as the Pennsylvania Turnpike

See also

• Interstate 76 in Ohio
• Interstate 80 in Ohio
• Interstate 90 in Ohio

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Ohio Turnpike

• Official site