How Columbus' highways will change with Downtown Ramp Up ODOT project
If you're a frequent driver in downtown Columbus, traffic cones, construction machines, closed lanes and torn-up bridges have likely become a common sight.
That's because the Ohio Department of Transportation is working on a $1.4 billion project to completely revamp and retool the city's highways in and around downtown Columbus. This project, Downtown Ramp Up, started in 2010 and will likely continue into the 2030s.
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The project is divided into six main phases which are also divided into multiple parts.
With so many changes, you might need a bit of a guide. Here's what we know about Downtown Ramp Up and how it will change the highways in downtown Columbus.
Downtown ramps and bridges
Columbus' current tangle of on-ramps, bridges and busy urban streets will be entirely transformed by Downtown Ramp Up Phase 4.
I-70 eastbound will now exit onto an expanded Fulton Street
The Third Street ramp to I-70 west and I-71 south will be replaced by a ramp to the highways on Mound Street
A straight ramp to I-70 west will be added to Mound Street so cars headed to I-71 and I-70 don't crowd the same ramp
Existing bridges over the freeways on roads like High Street, Front Street, Third Street and Fourth Street will be widened and upgraded
Two continuous lanes will be added to both interstates downtown to reduce lane changes and congestion
Changes to I-70, I-71, State Route 315 interchange
Just west of Columbus lies the I-70, I-71 and State Route 315 interchange, a tangle of ramps and highways leading every which way.
ODOT wants to streamline and improve the mess with Downtown Ramp Up Phase 6, which is mostly still in the planning stage. One part of the phase, phase 6R, will add a ramp from Mound Street to Interstate 71 south and a new bridge over the Scioto River and State Route 315. Phase 6R is currently under construction.
The specific changes planned for phase 6 have yet to be released, but one of the project's stated goals is to eliminate 70% of lane changes on I-70 and I-71 as they come toward Columbus.
Changes to I-70, I-71 interchange downtown
Just east of downtown Columbus is the I-70 and I-71 interchange that allows downtown drivers to get on the highways and highway drivers to switch freeways.
This interchange's upgrades are in Phase 2 of the project, and some changes are already complete. Phase 2E widened I-70 east from Fourth Street to Miller Avenue, added a ramp from Fulton Street to I-70 east and from I-70 east to Parsons Avenue and reconstructed Fulton Street from Third Street and Fourth Street. Construction on this section was completed in 2022.
In fact, the only component of Phase 2 that has yet to be built is Phase 2D, which will revamp the interchange.
Other changes
While the interchanges require the most work, ODOT also plans to upgrade other sections of the highways around downtown. They are:
Phase 3: Upgrading I-71 north of the I-70/I-71 interchange
Phase 5: Upgrading I-70 east of the I-70/I-71 interchange
Phase 1 of Downtown Ramp Up has already been completed. That phase reconfigured the I-71 and I-670 interchange.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: How Downtown Ramp Up will reshape Columbus traffic, roads
