COLUMBUS, Ohio – The massive project known as the North Side Fix is reaching some milestones this week, which the Ohio Department of Transportation says will mean some change for motorists to remember when are negotiating the construction zone around the I-270/US 23 interchange.
Steel beams for the newly widened Route 23 bridge over I-270 will be installed beginning Monday, the first beams to be placed on the new bridge.
And, they are heavy.
Since vehicles cannot be anywhere near the beams as they are placed on the bridge piers over the interstate, ODOT spokeswoman Nancy Burton says there will be an impact on traffic, beginning around 7:00 p.m. each night.
MONDAY, OCTOBER 6
7:00 p.m. – I-270 West will be reduced to three lanes at US 23. All lanes will reopen by 5:00 a.m.
9:00 p.m. – Ramp from US 23 North to I-270 West will be CLOSED. Detour: 23 north to Dimension Drive, left on High Cross, left on Campus View, left on US 23 to I 270 west. NOTE: This ramp will close every night Monday through Friday, Oct. 10, but will reopen by 5:00 a.m. each day.
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 7
7:00 p.m. – I-270 West reduced to THREE lanes at US 23.
9:00 p.m. – I-270 West reduced to TWO lanes at US 23. All lanes open by 5:00 a.m.
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8 – THURSDAY, OCTOBER 9
7:00 p.m. – I-270 EAST/WEST reduced to THREE lanes at US 23.
9:00 p.m. – I-270 EAST/WEST reduced to TWO lanes at US 23.
11:00 p.m. – I-270 EAST/WEST reduced to ONE lane at US 23.
By 5:00 a.m. each morning, all lanes in both directions will be open.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 10 – SATURDAY, OCTOBER 11
7:00 p.m. – I-270 East will be reduced to THREE lanes at US 23.
9:00 p.m. – I-270 East will be reduced to TWO lanes at US 23.
Ramp from SR 315 North to I-270 East CLOSED. Detour: SR 315 North to I-270 West to Sawmill Rd. to I-270 East.
11:00 p.m. – I-270 West will be reduced to ONE lane. I-270 east will have TWO travel lanes open.
5:00 a.m. each morning, the ramp and all lanes on I-270 will be open.
After four months of digging, crews working on the trench (left) that will carry northbound thru traffic on US 23 through the interchange have hit rock bottom 30 feet below the surface road. Burton says that is the lowest point for the trench that will eventually carry two express lanes. With 70 percent of the digging complete now, the trench is on schedule to open the end of 2015, Burton says.
Starting Tuesday, the new signal at Northwoods Boulevard north will be operational and the current signal at Northwoods Blvd. south will flash yellow until it is removed.
That means there will be no left turns from Northwoods Blvd. south to US 23 in either direction and no left turns from US 23 south to Northwoods Blvd. south. Drivers will have to use Northwoods Blvd. north and make the left turn.