It's a good news-bad news situation for motorists who use Interstate 76-77 to enter and leave downtown Akron.

The Ohio Department of Transportation plans to open a new ramp Sunday heading into the center city, but another one that leads out of town is closing for a while.

First, the good news: The new exit ramp from westbound I-76-77 to South Broadway will open while the current exit ramp will be closed permanently. The new ramp is expected to provide a smoother transition onto South Broadway, as opposed to the major curve there now.

And here's the bad news: The entrance ramp from South Main Street to westbound I-76-77 is closing until next fall. An estimated 4,603 vehicles a day use that ramp.

The changes are part of an ongoing $84 million project to reconstruct the interchange with South Main and South Broadway and replace pavement along the highway.

The entrance ramp from South Main needs to close because ODOT is shifting construction from the eastbound side of the highway to the westbound side and the ramp enters where the construction will be taking place, agency spokesman Brent Kovacs said.

Motorists using the highway also will encounter new lanes as part of the shift.

Kovacs couldn't pinpoint when the ramps will open and close Sunday, saying only that the changes will take place between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.

The entire interchange project is scheduled to be completed by July 2020.

Rick Armon can be reached at 330-996-3569 or rarmon@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter at @armonrickABJ.