Northwest Ohio prepares for the new U.S. Route 24 - 13abc.com Toledo (OH) News, Weather and Sports

This Wednesday, the new U.S. Route 24 will open, from Waterville to Napoleon.

13abc spoke with motorists and business owners in Waterville, and there are lots of opinions.

The hope is that serious accidents become a lot less common along the old, two-lane U.S. 24, southwest of Maumee.

Historically, the two lane road has been a busy one for trucks.

Jeffrey Jones, a Toledo native and traveler, says "it's going to help the people here, especially with the truck traffic, coming out of their driveways. I have friends that live down here. It's hard sometimes because you'll get a break one way and all of a sudden you have trucks coming the other way."

When the new stretch opens later this week, you'll be able to travel from Waterville all the way to the Indiana state line on a new road built to safer highway standards.

Jones added, "more than going up through Angola and down through the Turnpike, this is going to be so much easier, and you can cut down there. It'll be a nice strip and not so congested like the Turnpike, and that's a big thing right there, plus no tolls."

We spoke with a few businesses, and most are cautiously optimistic about the change, which takes effect on Wednesday.

Tina kuron, a co-owner of Chowders N-Moor is cautiously optimistic.  "We're not worried yet. We're hoping that the new bypass will get people to come to this area. Waterville is a destination spot, and we hope that people travel down 24 again because they won't be worried about the semis."

O-Dot says they plan to initially open the westbound lanes near Fallen Timbers Lane. They plan to open eastbound lanes several hours later.

"I'm just glad they got it open. I got to see it in my lifetime," Jones said.

O-Dot says there will be closures on the old U.S. 24, starting Wednesday, for tie-in work between S. R. 109 and T. R. 10.