TOLEDO, Ohio — With the total solar eclipse fewer than three weeks away, leaders with the Ohio Turnpike said they are ready for an influx of people to drive through its toll lanes to view it on April 8.
Representatives from the turnpike want the community to know that they will be fully staffed and intend to treat this as a high-traffic event. Chuck Cyrill, the Ohio Turnpike's communications director, said the organization aims to serve the community and travelers.
"The Ohio Turnpike has 14 state-of-the-art service plazas along its 241-mile length: seven eastbound and seven westbound," Cyrill said. "All 14 service plazas will be open for food, fuel, beverages and comfort stops 24 hours a day."
An estimated 500,000 additional people will travel to Ohio to view the eclipse, experts said, meaning heavy traffic - especially on major roadways - is likely. Turnpike officials said they will ensure no lanes are closed on April 8 to assist with the flow of traffic, barring closures that come with crashes.
This is with the exception of the long-term work zone set for the Tinkers Creek bridge project both eastbound and westbound at milepost 185.6 in Summit County, according to the Ohio Turnpike website. At that location, two of the three lanes will be open in both directions.
With additional traffic, more crashes are possible. To mitigate this potential impact, the Ohio Turnpike said it will have portable signs on the side of the interstate with up-to-date information about traffic accidents and incidents. Tow trucks will also be on standby to assist.
Ohio Turnpike officials are meeting with other state and city organizations in a collaborative effort to make sure traffic runs smoothly.
"There are safety organizations in every county, so we've been busy," Cyrill said. "Our staff, maintenance roadway crews, engineers and my team from the communications office have been meeting regularly with state and local officials to ensure we provide our residents and travelers with solid information."
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