COLUMBUS – Drivers traveling into Columbus from the northwest should find the Monday morning commute a little faster this week, as state transportation officials expect to reopen a key ramp at the interchange of U.S Route 33 and I-270 near Dublin.
The ramp from eastbound U.S. 33 to eastbound I-270 toward Sawmill Road and Worthington has been closed so crews could repair a bridge that was severely damaged when a tanker truck crashed and burst into flames this past January.
When the ramp reopens, the lane configuration on US 33 approaching the ramps for I-270 will go back to the way it was prior to the fire (see below).
Drivers are advised to stay in the two middle lanes to go east on I-270 towards Sawmill Road.
The left two lanes are for through traffic into Old Dublin and the right two lanes for southbound I-270 towards Tuttle Crossing Boulevard.
Drivers are reminded that the speed limit on the ramp is 40 miles per hour because there are multiple curves and the ramp, which starts out with two lanes, merges into one before it travels under U.S. 33.
Wednesday night and Thursday morning, crews repaired the pavement and poured the new concrete deck (above) so, weather permitting, the new concrete will be properly “cured” and the ramp will be open to traffic sometime Sunday night, according to Ohio Department of Transportation District 6 spokeswoman Nancy Burton.
Paving the entire I-270/U.S. 33 interCHANGE project is expected to begin the week of June 18 and take a month to complete.
Again: Weather permitting.