TOLEDO, Ohio — A long-discussed plan to improve travel between northwest and central Ohio is one step closer to reality.

The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) has released its first report on a proposed connector between U.S. 23 and Interstate 71 , a project that could significantly cut travel times from Toledo to Columbus.

“Northwest Ohio as a region has been advocating for several decades for a connector between US 23 and I-71,” said Sandy Spang, executive director of the Toledo Metropolitan Area Council of Governments.

A spokesperson for ODOT said the new highway could save drivers time on the trip.

“We think that the time savings would be anywhere between 4 minutes and 22 minutes for a trip,” said Matt Bruning, ODOT press secretary.

According to Bruning, traffic along U.

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