By JEANNIE WILEY WOLF

Staff Writer

NORTH BALTIMORE -- North Baltimore is in for some good luck come Friday.

The new Ohio 18 bridge over Interstate 75 is scheduled to open following a 3 p.m. ribbon-cutting ceremony. The bridge has been closed to traffic since April.

"Friday the 13th is a lucky day for North Baltimore instead of the opposite," said Joe Rutherford, spokesman for the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) District 2 office in Bowling Green.

The project finished about a week ahead of schedule, according to Rutherford, who cited good weather conditions and the diligence of the general contractor -- Shelly Co. of Columbus -- as major reasons for beating the deadline.

Replacing and widening the bridge was the final phase of a $7.7 million interchange project. Work also involved moving Wood County Roads 588 and 589 -- located east and west of the interstate -- away from the entrance and exit ramps, to enhance the safety and capacity of the interchange.

The new structure is a four-lane steel beam bridge. It replaces a two-lane concrete slab bridge that was part of the original I-75 project from the late 1950s and early 1960s.

Additionally, the new bridge was built four feet higher than the old structure to increase the clearance on I-75.

During the time the bridge was closed, Ohio 18 traffic was detoured via Ohio 613.

The interchange will also have a new look, thanks to ODOT's aesthetic design program which was started in 2000 to focus attention on improving the look of the state highway system.

ODOT has been working with a group of North Baltimore residents over the past few months to come up with ideas for the interchange. The state is providing $70,000 for the design project.

Much of the work will involve decorative landscaping -- most of which will be planted this fall.