Authority: The Ohio Turnpike Commission
Length: 241 miles, from the PA state line to the IN state line
Also known as: I-80 (Exits 1-15); I-90 (Exits 1-8A); I-76 (Exits 15-17); James W. Shocknessy Ohio Turnpike
Opened: 22 miles, Dec. 1, 1954; 219 miles opened Oct. 1, 1955
Toll System: ticket
Proposed Extensions: During the mid-50's toll road boom, several other toll roads were proposed for Ohio. The only one that was seriously considered would have run from Cincinnatti, past Columbus, south and east of Cleveland, to the Pennsylvania line, to connect to the proposed Northwest Extension Pennsylvania Turnpike and the New York Thruway.
The following information comes from Sandor Gulyas:
When the Commission first was started [in 1948], their first job was to find a path for the turnpike. There were 5 options originally. They were...
The commission decided to build Alignment One first (that is the current turnpike today). Ground was first broken for it on October 27, 1952 with the starting of work on the bridge over the Cuyahoga River and the (former) Ohio Canal. By 1954 talks had begun for another Ohio Turnpike. This time it was going to go from Cincinnati to either Toledo (Woodville is what the OTC used) or to Conneaut. The general consensious though leaned towards a route going NE from Cincy. The OTC mentioned going from Cincinnati to a point east of Springfield along US 40 and again from a point along US 23 south of Delaware to Conneaut.
By 1956, however, with the coming of the I-route system, all plans for expansion were scuttled.
[View message on Usenet, 9/27/99]
Maps Issued: 55 (only eastern section open) 55 (white cover, blank reverse) 5-10/57 58? 59? 8-60 9-61 10-3/63 11-65 12-66 13-67-68 14-69 76 78 92 94 96 97 98 99 [For more information, see the Road Map Collectors Association website - MGF 7/21/05]
This site moved to Roadfan.com Thursday, July 21, 2005/Last revised July 21, 2005
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