The Ohio Turnpike opened in its entirety on October 1, 1955. The stretch from Eastgate to Gate 15 (Ohio 18 - Youngstown) had opened in late 1954 (December 1 I believe).
Below are links to various current news stories commemorating the anniversary.
http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2015/09/ohio_turnpike_opened_60_years_ago_to_swarms_of_onlookers_at_midnight_ceremony.html (http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2015/09/ohio_turnpike_opened_60_years_ago_to_swarms_of_onlookers_at_midnight_ceremony.html)
The Plain Dealer story above includes information on the five planned turnpikes for Ohio.
http://www.news-herald.com/general-news/20150929/ohio-turnpike-has-gone-through-big-changes-in-its-60-years (http://www.news-herald.com/general-news/20150929/ohio-turnpike-has-gone-through-big-changes-in-its-60-years)
http://www.ohiomemory.org/cdm/ref/collection/p267401coll36/id/9052 (http://www.ohiomemory.org/cdm/ref/collection/p267401coll36/id/9052) - links to construction pictures around Toledo
The Pennsylvania Turnpike completed their extension from Irwin West to the Ohio state line in 1951. The turnpike ended just outside the small town of Petersburg, Ohio.
I grew up in Poland, Ohio, about 9 miles north of Petersburg. My parents grew up in Poland and often talked about the period between when the Pennsylvania Turnpike extension opened and the Ohio Turnpike opened its first segment (to the old Gate 15 - Ohio 18) in December 1954.
The Pennsylvania Turnpike deposited traffic on to Burkey Road, just past the toll booth. Traffic either continued west of Burkey Road to Ohio 170 then south to Ohio 14 in Unity or turned north on what was then Ohio 90 (now Ohio 617 and Ohio 170) and continued through New Middletown and Poland before either turning west of US 224 or continuing in to Youngstown.
My parents described a large amount of truck traffic and overall traffic for the times. To this day you can travel the road between Poland and Petersburg and see a handful of former service station buildings that have been re purposed
Somewhere buried in a box at home I have various Youngstown Vindicator news articles on that period and the impact of the turnpikes.
Here are links to a few of the stories on Google News Archive (hope these work)
https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1144&dat=19541201&id=uoMbAAAAIBAJ&sjid=zU0EAAAAIBAJ&pg=7282,15799&hl=en (https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1144&dat=19541201&id=uoMbAAAAIBAJ&sjid=zU0EAAAAIBAJ&pg=7282,15799&hl=en)
https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1350&dat=19510323&id=Z-BOAAAAIBAJ&sjid=QQAEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3617,3431876&hl=en (https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1350&dat=19510323&id=Z-BOAAAAIBAJ&sjid=QQAEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3617,3431876&hl=en)
https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1144&dat=19530106&id=nXwbAAAAIBAJ&sjid=l00EAAAAIBAJ&pg=1771,1714060&hl=en (https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1144&dat=19530106&id=nXwbAAAAIBAJ&sjid=l00EAAAAIBAJ&pg=1771,1714060&hl=en)
https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1129&dat=19541127&id=PSANAAAAIBAJ&sjid=22oDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6446,1585290&hl=en (https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1129&dat=19541127&id=PSANAAAAIBAJ&sjid=22oDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6446,1585290&hl=en)
https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1350&dat=19511126&id=BzgxAAAAIBAJ&sjid=YAAEAAAAIBAJ&pg=2952,5274567&hl=en (https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1350&dat=19511126&id=BzgxAAAAIBAJ&sjid=YAAEAAAAIBAJ&pg=2952,5274567&hl=en) - a few pictures here including the end of the PA Turnpike in a "muddy field"
Great stuff! Thanks for sharing!
Happy 60th Anniversary, Ohio Turnpike!
Happy Birthday, Ohio Turnpike!
I'm pretty sure my first time on the turnpike was in April 1956, at age 5, with my family on the way from Muncie, Indiana, to Atlantic City and Washington D.C. The turnpike was the most wondrous feat of engineering that I had seen, and it remained a highlight of a trip that included my first look at the Atlantic Ocean, the Washington Monument, and the White House.
It's probably hard for younger people to understand how impressive the turnpike was. It was so unlike anything else around--you didn't have to stop or even slow down, except for the toll booths. (Smiling to the toll booth operator was a treat too.) The Pennsylvania Turnpike was impressive when we got to it, but it wasn't brand new like the Ohio Turnpike.
For years after, I'd beg Dad to drive on the toll road, even if it was out of the way.
I loved the photos and stories from back in the day. Thanks for the post, ysuindy.
The Pennsylvania Turnpike opened on the same day - pretty interesting too.
Clarification: the first portion of the Pennsylvania Turnpike opened on the same date, but 15 years earlier, 10/1/1940. That means we should add "Happy 75th Birthday, Pennsylvania Turnpike!"
The new Turnpike Maps at the Service Plazas have the 60th anniversary logo on them.