New ramps, exits coming on I-70 and I-71 in Downtown Columbus
A series of new exits will dramatically change traffic patterns in Downtown Columbus, and state and local officials hope the changes make the region safer for motorists.
Gov. Mike DeWine joined representatives of the Ohio Department of Transportation and the city of Columbus to announce the project from Dodge Park in Franklinton Wednesday afternoon. He spoke from a lectern at the edge of an observation area overlooking the stretch of Interstate 70 that spans the Scioto River.
The work was already underway Wednesday afternoon as cleared dirt on the east banks of the Scioto River in preparation for new exit and entrance ramps.
Drivers from all over the nation traverse Columbus through interstates 70 and 71, which converge Downtown, DeWine told reporters and local officials at Wednesday’s press conference.
“With two major interstates and with a huge traffic flow, (the project) impacts the entire country, or at least a large part of it,” he said.
What changes are coming next for I-70 and I-71 in Downtown Columbus?
- Building a ramp from the eastbound lanes of I-70 to Fulton Street to replace the Front Street exit.
- Building a ramp from Mound Street to the southbound lanes of I-71.
- Rebuilding the ramp from Mound Street to the westbound lanes of I-70, an endeavor that will include a new bridge over Short Street.
- Rebuilding the Front Street bridge that spans I-70.
- Making Front Street two-way traffic between Livingston Avenue and Mound Street, and expanding sidewalks and bike lanes.
- Exit from the eastbound lanes of I-70 to Route 315 will close permanently on March 18.
- Exit from the eastbound lanes of I-70 to Front Street will close in May.
- Exit from the eastbound lanes of I-70 to Livingston Avenue will close in 2024.
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Construction of the interstates in the 1960s contributed to the growth of Greater Columbus, which has seen its population double since I-70 and I-71 rose over the Scioto River and the neighborhoods in the middle of the city, DeWine said. But as use of the interstate highways grew, so did crashes.
The new ramps should give drivers a safer way to merge onto and leave the highways, officials said at Wednesday’s conference.
The work is part of an ongoing campaign to upgrade roads and bridges throughout Ohio at a cost of around $900 million. The downtown work will cost roughly $280 million.
The work is projected to take three and a half years.
This section of I-70 that runs through Downtown Columbus sees around 900 crashes a year, according to ODOT figures.
“A lot of us have driven white-knuckled through the Columbus Crossroads,” said William Murdock, executive director of the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission. “This will make you feel safer.”
@PatrickACooley
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