COLUMBUS – A major downtown interstate will be closed for most of this weekend while workers demolish a bridge as part of one of the area’s biggest freeway projects.
I-70 will be shut down in both directions by 9:00 p.m. Friday between State Route 315 and I-71 while workers demolish the Grant Street bridge, Ohio Department of Transportation spokeswoman Nancy Burton said.
Weather permitting, Nurton says, the entire concrete bridge deck will be gone by Sunday morning, and the only thing remaining will be the steel beams. Those beams will be removed during overnight closures within the next few weeks, Burton said.
The new bridge, which is expected to open in about nine months, is one in a series of projects to improve the I-70/71 corridor through downtown Columbus, one of the busiest and most congest sections of freeway in the state.
This weekend’s closure will have I-70 westbound closed until Saturday morning and the eastbound lanes open again Sunday morning:
FRIDAY
8:00 PM – the following ramps will close: Third St. to I-70 EB. Detour: Third St. to Livingston Ave. to I-70 EB
Broad St. to I-71 SB. Detour: I-71 NB to I-670 WB to SR 315 SB to I-71 SB.
8:30 PM – Greenlawn Ave. to I-71 NB. Detour: I-71 SB to SR 104 to I-71 NB to SR 315 NB to I-670 EB to I-71 NB.
EASTBOUND
9:00 PM: Ramp from SR 315 SB to I-70 EB. Detour: I-670 EB to I-71 SB to I-70 EB.
I-71 NB to I-70 EB. Detour: I-71 NB to SR 315 NB to I-670 EB to I-71 SB to I-70 EB. For traffic to continue on I-71 NB, take SR 315 NB to I-670 EB to I-71 NB.
I-70 EB AT I-670 EB. Detour: I-670 EB to I-71 SB to I-70 EB
WESTBOUND
I-70 WB CLOSED BETWEEN I-71 & SR 315 Detour: I-71 NB to I-670 WB to SR 315 SB to I-70 WB
I-71 SB to I-70 WB. Detour I-71 SB to I-670 WB to SR 315 SB to I-70 WB. For traffic to continue on I-71 SB, take I-670 WB to SR 315 SB to I-71 SB.
SATURDAY 9:00 AM – I-70 WB all lanes open
I-71 SB to I-70 WB open
Broad Street to I-71 SB open
SUNDAY 9:00 AM – I-70 EB all lanes and ramps open