COLUMBUS – Beginning Monday morning, motorists who use I-70 to travel out of downtown to the East Side will be able to use the long-awaited ramp from Fulton Street to access the interstate.
Governor Mike DeWine on Tuesday cut the ribbon symbolically opening the ramp to the eastbound lanes of I-70 eastbound two years after he kicked off the $82 million phase of the massive Columbus Crossroads construction project, which is not scheduled to be completed until 2026, and nearly two years after the Third Street ramp to I-70 closed in November of 2019.
“This major construction milestone couldn’t have come at a better time. With so many Ohioans returning to their offices each day, efficiency and access are both more important than ever,” DeWine said
An increase in the state gas tax included in the state transportation budget approved by lawmakers in 2019 cleared the way for the opening of the ramp and more improvements downtown.”
The construction of the new ramp is part of ODOT’s Downtown Ramp Up project aimed at relieving the biggest safety and congestion problems along the I-70/I-71 corridor.
When finished, the construction project will eliminate lane changes and replace unsafe ramps, rebuild streets, and enhance freeway crossings with bicycle accommodations, Ohio Department of Transportation director Jack Marchbanks said.
It will also reconnect neighborhoods by replacing bridges with wider, pedestrian-friendly structures with parking and landscape design.
The $82 million phase of construction is scheduled to be completed in November.