BATH TOWNSHIP, Ohio — Is the construction project on Interstate 77 between Ghent and Everett roads a danger?
That was the thought of one viewer who reached out to News 5's Caitlin Hunt. Speaking over the phone, the viewer suggested Hunt reach out to the Bath Township Police Department.
"It was a challenge," Chief Vito Sinopoli said of the work.
Sinopoli said the three to four miles of work created obstacles for his crew when trying to respond to accidents. The project started in September of last year and is planned to wrap up in the summer of next year. Crews are currently adding a third lane in both directions along this section of the interstate.
"Our first responders had to go far north or south and then reverse to traffic to get to accidents," he said.
Sinopoli said the department saw a 60% increase in crashes since the project started. He pointed out the reduced lanes, switching traffic patterns and tight shoulders as hindering crash responses.
Through a Freedom of Information request, Hunt received crash reports from the start of the project in September until now. There was a sharp increase in the number of crashes once the concrete barriers were placed for the project. Response times averaged 20 minutes, and at least five crashes took an hour or longer to clear.
"That's typical," Ohio Department of Transportation District 4 Spokesperson Justin Chesnic said.
He said construction projects are known to create complications for first responders. Right now, emergency services can drive behind the construction barriers or turn around at the next exit to reach accidents.
Interstate 77 commuters were met with delays throughout a week in early January as semi trucks slid off or got stuck in the same construction zone along the interstate.
What about those? Chesnic said those are common, too.
"You have that white line that you're used to," he said. "You have a foot, maybe 18 inches, and then you're off the roadway."
Rumble strips and a more compact material will be placed on the road to help with that.
ODOT said the project is ahead of schedule and could be completed in November instead of next year.
Either way, Sinopoli said the Bath Township Police Department will find a way to help anyone who finds themselves in a tough situation on the road.
"We do our very best to provide for anyone's needs who are stranded or are involved in a crash," he said.
