More I-75 Exits To Downtown Closing For Good

DAYTON -- More major headaches for drivers headed to and from downtown start Tuesday night.  The Third and First Street exits off I-75 South and the on-ramps to 75 South from Monument and Second Street are officially closed.  The change is confusing many drivers.

ODOT closed the First and Third St. exits as it constructed an entirely new right hand exit to downtown Dayton.  At 7pm Tuesday, road crews put up the notorious orange barrels, closing the exits forever.

“I hear a lot of people talking about that, First and Third Street being closed.  This whole thing has been under construction for the last 20 years it seems like.  It never gets finished,” joked Stuart Pustle of Oakwood.

The on-ramps from Second and Monument to 75 South were also shut down Tuesday night.  Brake lights, swerves into other lanes, and sudden stops were all too common in the hours following the closure.  In an effort to relieve some frustration, the Downtown Dayton Partnership has been sending out regular fliers to businesses and property owners downtown with updates on the I-75 Modernization Project.

“It gives them ample time to let their patrons, customers and clients know this change is going to be happening,” said Sandy Gudorf with the Downtown Dayton Partnership.

Construction on I-75 through the downtown area is expected to be complete in 2016.