TOLEDO, Ohio — We're gearing up for the Solheim Cup. The city of Toledo is expecting 150,000 people downtown during celebrations.
If you've driven in and out of the city lately, you know traffic in construction zones can be a nightmare, especially during the 5 o'clock rush hour.
Where Collingwood, South St. Clair and South Erie meet, it can get backed up. That's because the Collingwood Avenue ramp was the only way to head south on I-75 for months.
"So if you're heading out of downtown, there were very few opportunities to do that before, but we've opened up a couple more of those," said Rebecca D'Angelo with the Ohio Department of Transportation
ODOT continues work on the major I-75 project. Just recently the ramp from Miami Street to southbound I-75 opened, as well as the southbound ramp from South Avenue. That ramp was closed for two years.
As for getting into downtown from I-75, some ramps are closed as well, including the main downtown ramp.
"People are used to going northbound and getting off early at Collingwood and Erie and if you're coming southbound, that Washington ramp, that'll be open," D'Angelo said.
ODOT and city of Toledo leaders say they are working with the golf tournament to keep traffic flowing as best as possible.
"I think we have, as of today, a pretty good plan to take care of transportation during the event," said Commissioner of Transportation Sean Burnett.
Burnett says construction on Summit Street will be done by the tournament, so drivers won't have to worry about that.
However, the sheer volume of folks downtown will create some bottlenecks. So the city is hoping people will take the bus. Burnett said TARTA will have two park and rides on the north and south side of the river.
"We're hoping that people utilize public transit. They park in some of the outer lots, utilize other forms of transportation to come in and to the celebration," Burnett said.
Leaders are also hoping people will hop on one of the city's new VEO ebikes or escooters to get around town or even ride their own bikes downtown.
For those who are driving, the city and ODOT will have more signs off and on the interstate to show folks where to go.
"I think that we can probably come together to create a situation where people are getting where they need to go as long as you're coming early and expecting some of these delays," Burnett said.
For people heading from the tournament at Inverness to downtown for events, ODOT says drivers can take Dorr Street all the way into town. Or they can use the new 475- Dorr Street interchange and loop around.