By Mark Ferenchik, The Columbus Dispatch
COLUMBUS – Work will begin in April to widen congested I-270 in western Franklin County between Route 33 and Trabue Road, and in August to begin widening I-71 between Route 315 and Stringtown Road south of Columbus, two of the $390 million in projects the Ohio Department of Transportation will do this year in central Ohio, including projects already in the works.
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Work also will begin on the first of five projects to improve I-70/71 through Downtown. This year, the Grant Avenue bridge over the freeway will be replaced, and retaining walls will be built.
The projects were discussed at a news conference on Thursday at Dodge Park in Franklinton, kicking off the 2017 construction season.
Over the next seven years, one lane will be added in each direction on I-70 and I-71 through Downtown. Also, a new ramp will be built from I-70 east to Parsons Avenue, replacing the exit at S. 18th Street. That gives a new way for motorists to get to Nationwide Children’s Hospital and the Near East and South sides. Okey Eneli, the hospital’s vice president of engineering services, said the hospital now has 11,000 employees, so easier access is important.
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Construction also will begin this summer on improvements to Mound and Fulton streets, which parallel I-70/I-71 Downtown. Mound will be rebuilt between Washington and Short streets, with three one-way westbound lanes and a bike lane. Fulton will become one way eastbound, with three lanes between Front Street and Grant Avenue.
The work on I-270 in western Franklin County and I-71 south of Downtown also will include new pavement for existing lanes. Other than occasional resurfacing, the pavement on I-270 hasn’t been replaced since the early 1990s, said Tom Slack, an ODOT administrator and engineer. Traffic on this stretch of I-270 is expected to increase by 30,000 vehicles a day in 20 years. That section of I-270 now handles between 107,000 and 114,000 vehicles a day, numbers that have remained relatively flat since 2006.