HOWLAND — It’s a diamond in the rough, and it could be rough going for a good while.

Next week, weather permitting, the Ohio Department of Transportation intends to start work at the planned state Routes 46 and 82 “diverging diamond interchange” in Howland Township.

That will mean these routes will have various daily lane restrictions: State Route 46 between Market Street and U.S. Route 422, and state Route 82 between Elm Road and Howland Wilson Road.

According to ODOT’s latest Trumbull County weekly construction update, beginning Thursday, the ramp from East Market to Route 82 will be closed through November 2024. The detour will be East Market Street to Route 46 to Route 82.

This project also includes the replacement of the Route 82 bridge over Route 46.

The end of construction? End of summer, 2026, according to ODOT.

It’s ODOT’s biggest project to launch this year in the Mahoning Valley; according to its website, the cost is $20.4 million.

This is only the third diverging diamond in the state. ODOT said the other two are in Columbus and Toledo.

The state says there’s a lot of congestion and a lot of crashes, especially on those ramps at 46 and 82. A diverging diamond is considered by the state to be safer and more efficient for high traffic areas because it involves no left turns against oncoming traffic.

Appearing diamond-shaped from above, the interchange involves traffic switching sides of the road temporarily, which in the case of Routes 46 and 82 is meant to allow easier access on ramps.

The project partners are ODOT, Howland Township, Trumbull County, and Eastgate Regional Council of Governments.