Ohio Turnpike News

[wanderer2575]

Another sign of the apocalypse:  I took a late night drive last night down to the Turnpike (176 miles round-trip, plus a few miles wandering through Elmore) to see if my new IL Tollway I-Pass sticker works on the Turnpike (it does, although I haven't checked to see if/how the charges hit).  On the way back home I stopped at the westbound Blue Heron service plaza before I-280 to get something unhealthy to eat, just because.  This was around midnight, Saturday.  And the Hardee's was closed.  None of the restaurants in the food court was open.  If I really needed to shove something down my gullet, beef jerky or chips or prepackaged egg salad sandwiches in the convenience mart were all that was available.  What the hell?

[Mav94]

Another sign of the apocalypse:  I took a late night drive last night down to the Turnpike (176 miles round-trip, plus a few miles wandering through Elmore) to see if my new IL Tollway I-Pass sticker works on the Turnpike (it does, although I haven't checked to see if/how the charges hit).  On the way back home I stopped at the westbound Blue Heron service plaza before I-280 to get something unhealthy to eat, just because.  This was around midnight, Saturday.  And the Hardee's was closed.  None of the restaurants in the food court was open.  If I really needed to shove something down my gullet, beef jerky or chips or prepackaged egg salad sandwiches in the convenience mart were all that was available.  What the hell?

This is outrageous, greasy food at service plazas in the middle of the night is our right. I don't even recognize this country any more!

[The Ghostbuster]

It appears that only the Burger Kings at the service plazas at MPs 20.8, 139.5, and 170.1 (both directions for each) are open 24 hours. It's truly outrageous! Maybe you should have taken your turnpike trip during the day, wanderer2575.

[wanderer2575]

Awright, awright, "sign of the apocalypse" was a little strong and meant as a joke.  I was noting that, along with 24-hour fuel, the service plazas all used to have 24-hour foodservice.  Most people out there are not on aimless joyrides as I was and maybe can't choose to make the travel during the day.

[thenetwork]

Awright, awright, "sign of the apocalypse" was a little strong and meant as a joke.  I was noting that, along with 24-hour fuel, the service plazas all used to have 24-hour foodservice.  Most people out there are not on aimless joyrides as I was and maybe can't choose to make the travel during the day.

But you still can get some form of food at the C-Store and/or the vending machines inside 24/7...

[vdeane]

Awright, awright, "sign of the apocalypse" was a little strong and meant as a joke.  I was noting that, along with 24-hour fuel, the service plazas all used to have 24-hour foodservice.  Most people out there are not on aimless joyrides as I was and maybe can't choose to make the travel during the day.

But you still can get some form of food at the C-Store and/or the vending machines inside 24/7...

But it's a definite downgrade.  If you're out then and need a proper meal for whatever reason, you're SOL.

[Bitmapped]

I took the Ohio Turnpike westbound between the PA line and I-480/SR 14 yesterday. A couple notes, including some things OTIC has done to address complaints from people who can't understand E-ZPass only lanes:

1. There seems to be some pavement reconstruction going on in the 6-lane portion near Lordstown. It looks like they didn't reconstruct the original lanes when they filled in the median with new lanes.

2. In the "toll free" zone, they've added signs just before the on-ramp merges onto the mainline indicating how many miles to the toll plaza.

3. BGS signage for the toll plazas has been revised. They got rid of the exit number tabs, added a graphic icon for toll taker on the sign for the staffed lanes and changed the verbiage from "Cash - Change - Receipts" to "Cash - Credit" or something like that.

4. There are now multiple VMS set up at 2/4/6-mile intervals for the Eastgate plaza and starting 7 miles out for Newton Falls approaching the plazas saying "No EZPass? / Keep Right X Miles". Some of the VMS are actually located in Pennsylvania.

5. There are signs after the mainline plazas saying to visit ezpassoh.com within 7 days to pay if you missed a toll.

6. I didn't notice any signs of demolishing the old ramp toll plazas in the toll-free zone.

[tigerwings]

No activity at the 4 in the toll free zone in Western Ohio either. Keeping in case they want to toll again?

I drove between I-75 and I-75 last week, seemed more was under construction than not.

[wanderer2575]

1. There seems to be some pavement reconstruction going on in the 6-lane portion near Lordstown. It looks like they didn't reconstruct the original lanes when they filled in the median with new lanes.

They didn't, and that goes for the entire length of the six-laning.  Nor did they resurface the original lanes.  Which has resulted in some instances of lane closures for resurfacing the original lanes, then lane closures a few years later to resurface the newer left lane, then repeat.