COLUMBUS, Ohio – After two years of dodging orange barrels, detouring around closed ramps and squeezing between concrete barriers, drivers heading into and out of downtown through the Columbus Crossroads will find life returning to normal next week.
UPDATE: All ramps and lanes for I-71 north and I-670, and the “tunnel” from I-71 north to I-670 west, are now open.
Crews on the I-71/670 project will reach another milestone as lanes and ramps for I-71 north are opened, ODOT spokeswoman Nancy Burton said. Thousands of barriers and barrels will be removed and new highway signs and thousands of lane lines will be installed.
By Monday morning, drivers will be using new ramps, a tunnel and navigating different traffic patterns, Burton says.
Last weekend, all southbound lanes and ramps were opened.
The most significant change Monday will be the new tunnel, which motorists will have to use in order to get to both directions of I-670 from I-70 and I-71.
When construction started on the largest ODOT project in Central Ohio, the agency vowed all lanes and ramps would be open before Thanksgiving, 2013.
By Monday, Burton says, motorists will be traveling on 22 new bridges, 29 retaining walls, new ramps and travel lanes on I-71 and I-670.
Here is a look at what will happen this weekend in order to meet the project deadline.
Friday November 15 (I-71 North)
8:00 p.m. – the following ramps will close:
I-71 north to I-670 east
Main St. to I-71 north
Miller-Kelton to I-70 west.
8:30 p.m. – the ramp from State Route 315 south to I-70 east will close to install new overhead signs. By 6:00 a.m. Saturday, the ramp will be open.
9:00 p.m. – ramps from I-70 west and east to I-71 north will close. The detour is SR 315 north to I-670 east to Leonard Ave. to I-670 west to I-71 north. All ramps and lanes will be reopened by 5:00 Monday.
10 p.m. – the right lane of Broad St. westbound will be closed at the bridge over I-71. All lanes will be open by 5:00 a.m. Sunday.
Saturday, November 16
4:00 p.m. – Saturday, the ramp from I-670 east to Cleveland Ave. will close for restriping. By 5:00 a.m. Sunday, the ramp will reopen.
The ramp from Jack Gibbs Blvd. to I-670 west will close. Traffic will be detoured to Cleveland Ave. to 5th Ave. to I-670 west. By 5:00 a.m. Sunday, the ramp will be open.
8:00 p.m. – the ramp from I-670 east to Cleveland Ave. will close so it can be re-striped. THIS IS THE EXIT RAMP. By 5:00 a.m., Saturday, the ramp will reopen.
Saturday, November 16
5:00 a.m. – the ramp from Cleveland Ave. to I-670 east, I-71 north, & I-71 south will close. THIS IS THE ENTRANCE RAMP. The exit ramp from I-670 east to I-71 north will remain open. By 8:00 p.m., the ramp will be open.