The next phase of the Route 8 bridge replacement project means some new detours for Akron drivers beginning Monday.
All three lanes of northbound traffic will be shifted onto the recently completed southbound bridge, and the on-ramp from Perkins Street to Route 8 north will be closed for the next two years, said Ohio Department of Transportation District 4 spokesperson Ray Marsch.
This will allow workers to start construction on the new northbound bridge, Marsch said.
“We have half of this project done,” Marsch said. “Over the next few months, we are going to implode the old bridge and begin building the new northbound bridge.”
The project began in 2023, and the new southbound bridge was recently completed. All three lanes of southbound traffic have already been moved to the new bridge.
The new detour for the Perkins Street ramp will be Perkins Street, to Goodkirk Street, to Buchtel Avenue to Fountain Street, to the state Route 8 northbound ramp.
Additionally, ramps for state Route 8 northbound to Glenwood Avenue will be closed until late 2027, Marsch said. Drivers are encouraged to use Tallmadge Avenue to Home Avenue for the detour, Marsch said.
The on-ramp southbound to Buchtel Avenue is also closed. The detour is state Route 8 south to Perkins Street to Goodkirk Street, he said.
The project is proceeding on schedule, he added. The old bridge, which was constructed in 1953, was aging and needed to be replaced.
The new bridge will be safer, allowing for an additional lane and more space for drivers to pull over, Marsch said.
“This will be a great improvement for folks traveling on state Route 8 within the city of Akron,” Marsch said.
An estimated 115,000 vehicles cross the bridge every day, he added.
“This is a main corridor in Northeast Ohio with 115,000 vehicles, so that’s why this project is so important,” Marsch added.
ODOT will notify drivers of the implosion of the old bridge in the coming weeks.
“We certainly will send out notifications. That will be on our social media page, because state Route 8 will be closed for a portion of time when the implosion happens,” Marsch said. “They will need to detour while that happens.”
The $158 million project is expected to be completed by summer 2028, he said.
