COLUMBUS – West Side drivers will find their commute a little easier with the eastbound I-70 bridge over the I-270 interchange reopening this morning, almost two weeks ahead of schedule, after a tanker fire damaged part of the span.
READ MORE: In the Columbus Dispatch
The Ohio Department of Transportation also announced on Monday that the ramp from southbound I-270 to eastbound I-70 also will reopen. The ramp from northbound I-270 to westbound I-70 will open by Thursday morning rush hour and a section of Roberts Road will be restored to its regular configuration.
The state transportation department awarded a $1.2 million contract to Shelly & Sands, as well as a $20,000-per-day incentive to finish the job in less than 30 days. That means the firm will receive a $240,000 bonus.
“That is not a large amount in terms of the convenience” the reopening will bring, said ODOT Director Jerry Wray.
The bridge and ramps have been closed since July 1 when a tanker carrying 8,000 gallons of ethanol rolled onto its side and caught fire on the ramp from southbound I-270 to eastbound I-70.