COLUMBUS, Ohio – Central Ohio commuters will again have access to I-71 from Main Street near downtown.
The Ohio Department of Transportation says the new Main Street ramp to I-71 south will reopen by 3:00 this afternoon after being closed for two months for rebuilding as part of the Mound Street Connector project.
Once the new ramp is open, the exit from I-70 west to 4th Street will close. That is one of the highest crash prone ramps in the downtown corridor, ODOT spokeswoman Nancy Burton said.
The project is intended to eliminate a dangerous weave from I-71 north across I-70 east by providing a new and safer access point in downtown Columbus.
In order to build the Mound Street Connector, the Main Street ramp had to be reconfigured. The Mound Street Connector will include a bridge up and over I-70 and 71 and exits on to Mound Street. The project will also construct a new bridge at 18th St.
The Mound St. Connector project is expected to be complete next year.