RSS
Twitter
Facebook
YouTube
According to a Dispatch article this morning, ODOT has approved plans to divide the 70/71 Split project into two parts. The first being the eastern leg of 71 through Downtown running between I-670 and I-70, with a $512 million price tag. The second leg is the actual split running through the south end of Downtown where interstates 70 and 71 overlap. This second portion has been downgraded to a Tier II Funding Request, which means that the funding from ODOT has not been approved as of yet, and this part of project is not actually guaranteed to happen anymore.
The eastern portion of I-71 is home to the majority of the crash problems, and the article makes it sound as if ODOT is fully dedicated to fixing the neighborhood connectivity issues by committing $10 million towards building caps, potentially on the Spring, Long, and Broad Streets bridges. MORPC has also previously pledged an additional $12 million for highway caps. The full Dispatch article can be read here.
More information on the project can be found on the official ODOT project website.
Home on Sycamore – It’s a pretty common tactic to split larger projects into phases so that they are more favorable and likely to receive the funding they are going after (TRAC). Until the Transportation Bill is passed by Congress, you will continue to see projects put on hold. It is what it is.
As a southsider, I absolutely understand “home on sycamore’s” position. The project was going to have a big impact in the area (pro and con) and waiting for action has stalled the southside’s inclusion on a number of proposed projects. The previous COTA fast traxs light rail proposal and the more recent streetcar proposal. It just feels like another delay which will eventually leave the split as is (and will continue to be an impediment to future plans because of the uncertainity). I would rather see a decision (for example, no new construction but at least caps on high, 3rd, front and grant) be made than to leave this side of downtown waiting.
The likelihood of cap buidling will only occur IF the highway is rebuilt. To do the caps you would have to have the retaining walls built on the sides of the highway instead of the earthen slopes that exist. ODOT would not build a few minor walls without understanding how it fits in a larger context of a repositioned highway.