COLUMBUS – Drivers trying to get home to Gahanna or the East Side or catch a late-afternoon flight out of John Glenn Columbus International Airport might be happy to hear about the state’s plan to create a “smart” lane of traffic on eastbound I-670 by 2019.
Construction is scheduled to begin next summer on the “SmartLane,” which will run from the Fourth Street exit in downtown Columbus to the East Outer Belt, said Ohio Department of Transportation director Jerry Wray.
To create the extra, as-needed traffic lane, ODOT will rebuild the shoulder lane on the left side of eastbound I-670 to ensure the pavement is safe and passable, Wray said. The work is expected to be complete in 2019, when the new “SmartLane” and improvements at the I-670/I-270 and US Route 62 interchange will be complete, Wray said.
The “SmartLane” is a pilot project and will be available for eastbound-only I-670 drivers from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, Wray said.
Overhead message boards every three quarters of a mile will alert drivers when the “SmartLane” is available – that is, free of debris and stopped vehicles. A green arrow means the “SmartLane” is open while a red X indicates the extra lane is closed (see photo).
As part of the interchange improvement project at I-670/I-270 and US 62, ODOT will build two new ramp bridges to carry eastbound I-670 traffic to I-270 and I-270 traffic through the Easton area.
Traffic will be maintained during construction on I-670 eastbound and through the interchange at I-270.
ODOT will try to schedule as many closures and restrictions at night and on weekends when traffic volumes in the area are lightest.