Years of effort on the part of Springfield Township, Toledo and Lucas County government officials finally paid off with the opening of the $46.7 million I-475/Dorr Street interchange.
On a bright, sunny August 2 morning, bereft of the heat and humidity that typically accompanies the month, more than 100 people gathered at the end of the northbound exit ramp to laud the achievement, construction on which began in fall 2019.
The project entailed more than creation of new exit/entry ramps. Miller Brothers Construction of Archbold, the prime contractor, under ODOT’s directive, widened I-475 to three lanes from Bancroft Street to Airport Highway; widened bridge structures over Hill Avenue and Dorr Street; widened Dorr itself between Holland-Sylvania Road to the east and McCord Road to the west from two to five lanes with a center turn lane.
They also constructed four roundabouts, two comprising the “dog bone” at the interchange and the other two at Dorr and McCord and I-475 and McCord; erected a noise wall along Hill Avenue and Dorr; and constructed wayfinding piers to serve as a gateway into the University of Toledo and Springfield Township. The piers mimic architecture seen on the UT campus.
Pat McColley, ODOT deputy director, said the project had been talked about for more than a decade. “This project is very unique,” he noted, pointing out that construction of a new interchange on an interstate is “rare.”
Jack Marchbanks, ODOT director, agreed, “This is a day that’s been a long time in the planning.” He credited all the government entities and groups that came together to make the interchange a reality, including Springfield Township, ODOT, Toledo, Lucas County and the Toledo Metropolitan Area Council of Governments (TMACOG). “I never saw such passion.”
Mr. Marchbanks said the community saw the need for the project, successfully conveying that importance. “That is why it was chosen for TRAC (Transportation Review Advisory Council) funding,” he explained, adding that as a TRAC project it receives the “highest scoring ever.”
He commended officials for working together in a public/private partnership. “In the end, this project had many brothers and sisters and was a unique mix of public and local support.”
He believes the interchange will prove an economic boon to the region as will the next interchange to be developed at I-475 and U.S. Route 20A.
“All in all, the future looks bright for Toledo and northwest Ohio,” he concluded.
Following his presentation, Lieutenant Governor Jon Husted addressed the gathering. “I wanted to be here for this,” he said, adding, “You can’t see this without believing this is a community on the rise.”
He noted that the upcoming Solheim Cup golf tournament will provide the community with a perfect opportunity to “showcase this infrastructure,” and part of a sales job with prospective businesses is infrastructure. “And anytime you have quality infrastructure, it also improves safety.”
Dr. Gregor Kasper, president of the Inverness Club, is excited about the future and the economic prosperity he believes the area will see. He expressed gratitude to ODOT for “getting this done early.”
“The project will make a huge difference in our region,” said Dave Gideon, TMACOG vice president of transportation. “It took many years to get here,” recalling a 2001 study of the region that showed an urgent need for the interchange.
“This happened with a lot of partners. Because of their efforts, we put our best foot forward. On behalf of TMACOG, I appreciate your partnerships.”
Before introducing Springfield Township Trustee Andy Glenn, Mr. McColley praised the township. “I can’t say how big of advocates they have been. We would not be here today without Springfield Township.”
Mr. Glenn described the work as a team effort. “Every level of the township was on board for this.”
The idea took shape more than six years ago, he remembered with the original parties consisting of the township, Toledo, Lucas County and UT. With changes in leadership, two entities, Toledo and UT pulled back 18 months later.
“As a township, we continued to move forward, looking for partners,” he said, adding they were able to pull in a private partner Kott Enterprises of Toledo. With a new Toledo mayor, Wade Kapszukiewicz at the helm, the city contributed $1 million and TMACOG brought $4 million, allowing the project to move forward, Mr. Glenn explained.
To fund the township’s portion, officials established a tax incremental financing (TIF) district on township land around the interchange and organized a joint economic development district.
The trustees remained actively involved in the planning, ultimately convincing ODOT to add a last minute roundabout at McCord to prepare for future traffic volume, he said.
“This is pretty exciting for all of us.”
Mayor Kapszukiewicz is pleased with the level of cooperation that occurred. “We have heard a lot about cooperation, it’s true, but unfortunately over the past 60 years, we haven’t cooperated as well as we could have,” he said of issues with water and borders. “In this handful of years, we really did a good job of cooperating–all because we put aside rivalry and worked together.”
With Toledo’s recent award of the governor’s cup for ranking first in business development in the country, he believes that continued cooperation will pay dividends for the entire area. “I look forward to more success in the years to come,” he said.
That cooperation included funding at the federal level. U.S. Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur commended all parties involved for “contributing to the success” of the project, noting it also entailed $17.5 million through federal fuel excise taxes.
She recognized all involved. “This persevering team made it possible. This interchange will be the east side door to Springfield Township and the west side door to Toledo.”
Mike Pniewski, county engineer, pointed out the project actually began three decades ago when it was put on the county’s long range plans. He credited all those who brought the project to fruition, noting they made “a conscious decision to invest in infrastructure. It will pay off, making the community a better place to live and prosper.”
To Mr. Glenn and Springfield Township, he acknowledged, “They have been true, great partners through thick and thin. They knew how important this was to our community. This truly wouldn’t have happened without their efforts.”
Mr. McColley concluded the program, again recognizing the numerous public/private entities that contributed toward the interchange construction. “It takes a village to build a project like this.”
The program concluded with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The interchange opened to the public later that day. Although the new exit is open, minor finish work will continue with completion expected in spring 2022.
