VALLEY VIEW, Ohio — The massive construction project on the Valley View Bridge is still a sight from the air, and there's certainly a lot to see from the ground.
Yes, it's orange barrel season in Northeast Ohio.
"All westbound traffic is shifted onto the middle bridge as we continue to replace the concrete driving surface on the old westbound bridge," Brett Kovacs with the Ohio Department of Transportation tells 3News.
This project has a life of five years, ending in 2024. Kovacs says the recent good weather has been helping them stay to task.
There are no closures here, but their will be on the new Opportunity Corridor. Between East 79th and Buckeye, westbound lanes will be shut down beginning on Friday.
"We have some bridge painting to complete throughout the rest of the summer," Kovacs added. "There's going to be some weekend closures, but those are going to be starting here this weekend."
Another major location? West Franklin between West 89th and West 25th. Eight intersections will be replaced with roundabouts, a process that will take all year.
More importantly, in the state of Ohio in 2021, there were more than 4,700 work zone crashes, with 1,700 injuries and 29 deaths in the zones themselves. Kovacs says since all projects take some time, it's important for drivers to remember speed and distracted driving were usually the causes.
"We just want to remind all motorists: Please move over," Kovacs cautioned, "or slow down if you cannot safely move over."
Also, be on the lookout for changing traffic patterns, something that will happen at the Valley View Bridge this fall.