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70-day closure for US 20 ramp to Ohio route 53 starts Tuesday near Fremont

ODOT will be re-engineering the on-ramp to be easier to maneuver and improve driver safety.

FREMONT, Ohio — The ramp from U.S. Route 20 to U.S. Route 53, a major interchange near Fremont, will be closed down for the majority of the summer starting June 7.

The new design the Ohio Department of Transportation is putting in will make it less confusing and safer for drivers.

The current way to go from State Street in Fremont to Route 53 southbound toward Tiffin involves an awkward turn and crossing lanes of Route 20 westbound.

ODOT is planning to re-engineer this connection to make it more straightforward.

Credit: WTOL 11

"It's going to allow access from U.S. 20 and West State Street can now also go south, and then merge with U.S. 53 and U.S. Route 6 westbound," Tyler Vaughan, an ODOT transportation project manager, said.

The existing on-ramp will permanently close Tuesday and ODOT will build a new on-ramp that will merge with Route 53, instead of using a stop sign.

They will also build a turning lane in the median to keep through traffic moving.

Credit: Jon Monk
The project will eliminate the need for the crossover of West State Street at U.S. Route 20 eastbound.

"Historically there have been some accidents in the area. So we're looking to do some interchange reconstruction, you could say, to allow easier access and to better direct vehicles through the interchange safely and efficiently," Vaughan said.

The ramp closure will last about 70 days, but the work at the interchange will continue into the fall and wrap up in the spring for new signage installation.

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