ODOT, area police discuss ongoing problems in I-75 construction zone

MORAINE — Transportation officials met Wednesday to look at ways to fix ongoing problems in the I-75 construction zone in southern Montgomery County.

The construction zone runs between U.S. 35 and State Route 725 along I-75.

One of the recent changes is the Ohio Department of Transportation putting on its electronic message boards along 75 south at the Miami-Montgomery County line and along 75 north near the Pennyroyal Road overpass in Warren County for people to use an alternative route if they can — using I-70 and I-675 to avoid the stretch of 75 where the construction is happening altogether.

ODOT says it will be putting the same alternate route messaging on some new large orange constriction signs near those same areas soon.

In an effort to reduce congestion after minor crashes, Moraine Police, state troopers, and ODOT are also encouraging drivers who get into fender benders in the I-75 construction zone to drive to the nearest exit to get off the highway and then call police to report the crash.

In the last seven weeks since the traffic pattern changed dramatically for construction, there have been two deadly crashes.

Police and ODOT told News Center 7′s John Bedell the two biggest issues leading to the problems they’re seeing are drivers following too closely and speeding.

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The posted speed limit is 55 miles per hour.

Deputy Chief Jason Neubauer with Moraine Police Department said they have stopped drivers going over 75 miles per hour.

“That’s in the work zone, it’s a safety corridor. There are workers present. It’s a thing that’s an alarming problem for us,” Neubauer said.

The meeting Wednesday focused on how to make the construction zone as safe as possible.

It’s a conversation ODOT said is common with first responders and construction crews across the state.

“Those are the two big crash-causing factors that we see in many of our work zones across the state. It’s speed, it’s following too close. If we can eliminate those two things, we eliminate the vast majority of crashes in work zones,” Matt Bruning, ODOT press secretary said.

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And Moraine police said they are working to do just that.

“We want to eliminate those things and we have to take some steps, which is what we’re doing with this traffic enforcement to try to get the word out to people to realize they have to slow down. Traveling 20 miles an hour over the posted speed limit, in the construction zone. It’s never okay. It’s never acceptable. And we’re going to take strict enforcement action,” Neubauer said.

Change in traffic patterns will continue as crews move things around to complete the project.

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