Project to build State Route 15 overpass on County Road 180 to move forward
County Road 172 will be improved for the convenience of travelers.
LIMA, Ohio — The Ohio Department of Transportation District 1 and the Hancock County Engineer’s Office have concluded the public involvement process and will move forward with the development of a project to construct an overpass at the intersection of State Route 15 at County Road 180. The purpose of the project is to improve safety, reduce crashes, and control access to the divided highway at this location southeast of the city of Findlay.
The project will now move into the detailed design phase. Construction is tentatively set for 2025. Hancock County Engineer Doug Cade initiated the project by securing funding for construction in 2025. Should the funding becomes available earlier, the project could be constructed as soon as 2022. ODOT is providing design and project administration.
“We appreciate the community support for improving safety at this intersection,” said Chris Hughes, ODOT District 1 deputy director. “The most common concern raised during public involvement had to do with the loss of access between CR 180 and SR 15. Hancock County is going to make improvements to County Road 172 that will mitigate that issue,” said Hughes.
In 2021, and prior to construction of the overpass, Hancock County will improve County Road 172 to facilitate better access to U.S. 68 and State Route 37. Both routes are approximately two miles from County Road 180 and have an interchange with State Route 15.
During public involvement, concern was expressed that the overpass may cause new traffic problems at other intersections, such as County Road 8. However, due to the planned improvements to County Road 172 prior to the overpass project, it is anticipated that most traffic will use U.S. 68 or State Route 37 to connect with State Route 15.
During construction, County Road 8 will be restricted to right-in and right-out, with left turns prohibited. No access across the divided highway will be allowed. Once the project is complete, Hancock County will reevaluate the intersection to determine if further action is necessary.
How drainage would be impacted was a common question along with concerns surrounding access during a flood event. The drainage area at the project location will be evaluated with the proposed design to determine the conduit sizing under County Road 180 using ODOT design criteria. Coordination will occur with the county engineer during design to obtain local input.
Hancock County has undertaken several flood mitigation projects. More information regarding those efforts can be obtained here.
The recorded presentation for the public involvement period and all materials regarding the project will continue to remain available for an indefinite time here.
