COLUMBUS, Ohio – The first day of spring is still days away, but orange barrel season got underway Monday in Ohio.
The flagship project in central Ohio continues to be the $71 million North Side Fix, a makeover of the I-270/U.S. route 23 interchange that includes a unique trench (right) to carry two northbound express lanes into Delaware County, as well as ramp improvements, road widening, and a new bridge.
The second phase of that project, which reconfigures I-270 east and westbound between State Route 315 and U.S. 23, adds ramp lanes on SR 315 between SR 161 and I-270 and adds lanes and reconfigures the I-270 ramps at SR 315 and U.S. 23. The work will continue through 2017.
Work will start this month on redesigning the I-270/Rt. 33 interchange in Dublin. That calls for four new lanes on U.S. 33 between I-270 and the Avery/Muirfield Road interchange and reconfigures I-270 ramps.
Construction begins in Scioto County this spring on the state’s first-ever public-private partnership. The Portsmouth Bypass is a 16-mile four-lane limited-access highway from U.S. Route 23, north of Lucasville, to U.S. Route 52 near Sciotoville.
The $429 million highway built by the Portsmouth Gateway Group will be the state’s largest modern earthwork project to date, ODOT director Jerry Wray said. It is designed to complete the missing link of the Appalachian Highway System and hopes are high that it will fuel economic development in the region.
Other projects planned in central Ohio:
Fairfield County
A new interchange on U.S. 33 in Carroll at Winchester Rd. The project cost is $49,900,000.
Bridge replacement on U.S. 22 near Rushville over Little Creek. This project consists of demotion of the current bridge due to deterioration and the construction of a new structure.
Licking County
A new intersection of State Route 16 with Cherry Valley Road officials say will enhance access to Thornwood Drive and parts of Heath to the south. The project will create a partial-clover leaf interchange and overpass approximately one-half mile east of the current intersection. A shared-use path will connect the Newark-Granville Rd. path to the T.J. Evans Trail.
Highlights of ODOT’s construction program around the state include:
297 bridge and culvert projects totaling $398 million
278 pavement projects totaling $523 million
219 safety projects totaling $250 million
38 major construction projects totaling more than $1 billion
81 county bridge replacements
This is the second construction season with Ohio’s “Move Over Law” extending to construction and utility vehicles. It requires motorists to shift over one lane or slow down when passing any vehicle with flashing lights on the side of a road.
Three ODOT workers were injured last week when their truck was struck by a motorist on the West Side.