ODOT adding more signs to notify motorists when and where to merge in I-90 construction zone

More signs to alert motorists on when and where to merge safely with traffic are being added to a construction zone on Interstate 90 in Lorain County that has seen a number of traffic crashes in recent days. The changes come after motorists told Avon police that construction signage wasn't good enough to alert them before they had to merge. Avon Police Department spokesman James Drozdowski said several recent crashes on I-90 were due to speeding and inattentive drivers. He said there were also "some complaints the signage wasn't good," causing drivers to have to change lanes too quickly to merge safely, Drozdowski said. He said his department brought that concern to the Ohio Department of Transportation. ODOT District 3 spokesperson Crystal Neelon said Monday that after hearing concerns, officials discussed the issue Monday and decided to add some more signs. "We are increasing the signage, mostly merge signs when folks are entering the highway," she said. The additional merge signs should help drivers, especially those not familiar with the area, better understand when and where to merge, Neelon said. The traffic pattern is changing again this weekend: Starting Aug. 9, the I-90 westbound Exit 148 ramp to state Route 254 will be closed 14 days for pavement repairs and resurfacing, ODOT said in a news release. The detour will be I-90 west to Exit 145 onto Route 57 for Elyria and Lorain, then to reenter the highway eastbound to Route 254. That work and the detour should end Aug. 23, ODOT said. Then, on Aug. 23, the Route 254 entrance ramp to I-90 westbound will close for 14 days, again for pavement repairs and resurfacing. The detour around that closure is Route 254 west to Route 57 south, then to the Route 57 entrance ramp to I-90 westbound, with the work and detour to end Sept. 6. No more washouts, caused by water eroding the dirt under the pavement, have been reported since one was reported and repaired on July 25, Neelon said. That caused the closure of an exit ramp and traffic delays, authorities said. Avon police said a two-car crash Friday sent two people to local hospitals with minor injuries. A three-vehicle crash Thursday in I-90 construction traffic in Elyria left three people injured, one critically, according to the Elyria Fire Department, and caused rush-hour traffic backups. The ongoing construction work is part of a more-than $110 million project scheduled to be completed in late 2028. The project involves replacing the pavement and adding one lane in each direction from the merge/diverge with Route 2 to the Route 611 interchange. Elyria police have been ticketing speeders since the summer began. Officers wrote 80 speeding tickets over four days in the first week of June. Contact Dave O'Brien at (440) 329-7129 or dobrien@chroniclet.com.