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    Work Begins on Mound Street Connector, Next Phase of 70/71 Split

    Construction began this past weekend on the Mound Street Connector, the latest phase in the multi-year Interstate 70-71 split project. According to ODOT, parts of I-70 west from the Miller-Kelton exit to 4th Street were closed overnight from Sunday through Thursday while crews install signs and concrete barriers along that stretch of the intersection, although the lanes will reopen each morning at 5am. Starting on the morning of Friday, July 12th, there will be two lanes open on I-70 west from 18th Street to 4th Street.

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    Today, work begins on re-connecting Mound Street between 5th Street and Grant Avenue – a key part of the plan to establish Mound as a one-way collector street bringing west-bound traffic into Downtown from I-70. Traffic will flow into Downtown from a new “fly-over” bridge that will connect the freeway to Mound Street where it currently intersects with Washington Street. Once the Mound Street Connector is open, which ODOT is estimating will be in the fall of 2014, the 4th Street exit from I-70 west will close.

    The new section of Mound will run just north of the Americana and Market Mohawk apartment complexes, where there are currently two surface parking lots. A strip of parking spaces in the lots will be blocked off on Monday in preparation for the construction of the new road, and the 5th Street entrance to one of the lots will be closed permanently.

    Also being affected by this phase of construction is the on-ramp to I-70 east and I-71 north from Fulton Street – it will be permanently closed on July 22nd.

    Streetscape and bridge designs were unveiled in early 2012 during an ODOT public meeting. The re-constructed Mound Street will include new landscaping, on-street parking, and a bike lane. A new 18th Street bridge, which is also included in this phase of the project, will feature street lights and wrought-iron fencing.

    All of the work beginning now and related to the Mound Street Connector is considered Phase 2C of the larger 70-71 split project; Phase 2D is scheduled to start in 2014 and will include further work on Mound Street (west of 4th Street), as well as new exit ramps to Parsons Avenue, new bridges at Main, Grant and 4th Streets, and work on Fulton Street – which will eventually serve as the east-bound collector road for downtown.

    More information on the 70/71 Split is available at www.dot.state.oh.us/projects/7071/.

    For more discussion and updates on the Mound Street Connector, CLICK HERE to visit our messageboard.

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    Brent Warren
    Brent Warrenhttps://columbusunderground.com/author/brent-warren
    Brent Warren is a staff reporter for Columbus Underground covering urban development, transportation, city planning, neighborhoods, and other related topics. He grew up in Grandview Heights, lives in the University District and studied City and Regional Planning at OSU.
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