Ohio Turnpike closed by wild weather

The Ohio Turnpike was closed in its central section Friday night and into Saturday due to wild weather. A series of thunderstorms with winds of 80km/hr blew debris onto the Turnpike including the roof of a nearby barn. High voltage power lines were downed near Mile Post 140 in Lorain creating a serious hazard.

Local reports say both "lanes" of the Turnpike were closed.

Both? The Turnpike has six lanes.

Perhaps they mean both roadways or both directions-of-traffic were closed?

During the full closure of the Turnpike traffic was being diverted off at Exit 118 eastbound and at Exit 145 westbound.

During the storms long combinations - triples and long doubles - were banned, a standard procedure during periods of high winds.

SEMANTICS: These two-lane-turnpike reporters are the dummies who call every piece of heavy construction equipment a 'bulldozer,' call concrete 'cement' and who have cars going through toll 'booths' - an alarming thought for toll collectors - when they mean toll lanes.

Guys, a 'booth' is little building or enclosure providing protection from the elements and a window for a worker to do their job out of. It's not something anyone drives through. Unless they are very drunk.

Just as weird some reporters apply the term "booth" to the entire toll plaza. How they can see that expanse of pavement and the canopy and the serried ranks of toll lanes and booths as "a toll booth" boggles the mind.

TOLLROADSnews 2008-04-12