The next phase of work on the Interstate 70/71 split project is set to start soon.
The first change will happen on October 12, when the traffic pattern of I-70 along the southern edge of Downtown will be altered. Both directions of I-70 between Grant Avenue and 18th Street will be diverted to what is now the west-bound bridge side. This change will be in effect for about a year, according to the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT).
In November, the ramp to get onto I-70 East from South Third Street will be closed for good. A new ramp to I-70 East from Fulton Avenue is expected to open in the summer of 2021.
Also in November, the ramp from I-70 East to South 18th Street will close permanently. The replacement for that ramp – which will go from I-70 East to Parsons Avenue – is on track to open in November.
One change that is likely to impact a wide range of travelers – not just those that use the freeway – is the shutting down of Parsons Avenue from Main Street to Mooberry Street, just north of Nationwide Children’s Hospital. That closure, which is expected to last 60 days, is scheduled to happen some time next spring.
Further along in the timeline of the multifaceted project is work on the Fulton Avenue/South Fourth Street intersection (which will be closed for two weeks in the summer of 2020), and changes to Mooberry Street, which will be restricted to one-way eastbound traffic for two 60 day periods – one in the spring and the other in the summer of next year.
For more information, visit www.dot.state.oh.us.
Related: Next Phase of 70/71 Work to Start, Future Phases Now Funded
