The Ohio Department of Transportation has scheduled a public ribbon cutting for a new Henry County interchange, with the U.S. 24 and County Road 17D junction expected to open the following day.
The event is set for 1 p.m. Thursday on the County Road 17D bridge over U.S. 24, according to the agency. The interchange, located just north of Okolona, is slated to open Friday.
ODOT directed attendees to reach the site from the north via County Road 17D and park on Township Road N1, which is closed for the project. Project personnel will guide vehicles behind barricades, the agency said.
ODOT District 2 Deputy Director Pat McColley will lead the ceremony, joined by local and state officials.
According to ODOT, the interchange is the centerpiece of a wider safety upgrade along the U.S. 24 corridor in Defiance and Henry counties. An overpass carrying Independence Road, also known as County Road 185, over U.S. 24 in Defiance County was completed last year, and other work to remove or alter local road access is largely finished.
McColley credited partnerships with the Defiance and Henry County engineers for the corridor improvements.