I-70 and I-71 Corridor
The I-70 and I-71 corridor in Downtown Columbus is one of
the busiest and most vital sections of highway in the region. It serves
approximately 150,000 vehicles and 17,000 trucks per day, yet accounts for 27%
of all accidents on I-70 and I-71 in Franklin County. The corridor improvement
will reduce the number of entrance/exit ramps from nineteen to thirteen on this
1.5-mile stretch of highway, while introducing new collector-distributer urban
avenues into and out of the Downtown area.
The finished project will help reconnect neighborhoods to Downtown, promote
economic development opportunities along the corridor and within surrounding
neighborhoods, and provide a safer transportation environment for pedestrians,
bicyclists, and motorists.
Initial project concepts, phases, and schedules were derived
between 2006 and 2010. Alternatives for
the collector-distributer urban avenues were ultimately determined in 2010,
with design of multiple phases initiated soon afterwards.
Phase 1 was completed in 2014, which includes the I-670
and I-71 North Interchange, improvements to Cleveland Avenue, Jack Gibbs
Boulevard, Leonard Avenue, and St. Clair Avenue, new urban avenues Lester Drive
and Elijah Pierce Avenue, as well as the Spring Street and Long Street bridge
crossings, cap, and cultural wall.
Phase 2, which is
focused on the I-70 and I-71 East Interchange, has been divided up into
multiple phases, which started construction in 2013.
Phase 2A, also known as the Africentric School retaining wall, was completed in 2013. This constructed a
new retaining wall on the south side of I-70 west of Grant Street.
Phase 2B, which provided necessary storm-water outlet facilities
for the Columbus Crossroads project area, installing new storm sewers along
Fulton Street between Short Street and Front Street, was completed in 2017.
Phase 2C, also known as the Mound Street connector, was completed in 2016. This constructed a
new bridge from westbound I-70 to Mound Street, along with improvements to
Mound Street from Fourth Street to Washington Avenue. It also completed construction of the 18th
Street bridge over I-70.
Phases 2D (the I-70 and I-71 east interchange) while currently under
design, is not expected to begin construction until beyond 2025, per ODOT’s
schedule. This project includes
improvements to the Main Street bridge.
Phase 2E started construction in 2019, with a planned construction completion in 2021. This project constructs a new Fulton Street
bridge to eastbound I-70, closes the existing Third Street entrance ramp to eastbound
I-70, makes improvements and converts Fulton Street to eastbound from Third
Street to Fourth Street, makes improvements to Parsons Avenue at Mooberry
Street, and makes improvements to Mooberry Street between Parsons Avenue and 18th
Street.
Phase 2G was completed in
2019, which reconstructed the Grant Street bridge over I-70, made
improvements and converted Mound Street to westbound between High Street and
Fourth Street, and made improvements and converted Fulton Street to eastbound between
Fourth Street and Washington Boulevard.
Phase 3, which is
primarily the I-71 East freeway and urban avenues, is currently divided into
two separate phases.
Phase 3, while currently under design, is not scheduled to start
construction until beyond 2025, per ODOT’s schedule. The project limits are I-71 between Main
Street and Broad Street, and will include work on Lester Drive, Elijah Pierce
and Parsons Avenue, along with the Town Street and Oak Street bridges.
Phase 3B is scheduled to start construction in 2020 and be
completed in 2021, which will include work on I-71 between Broad Street and
Long Street, the Broad Street bridge over I-71, and Lester Drive and Elijah
Pierce Boulevard between Broad Street and Long Street.
Phase 4, which is
primarily the I-70 South freeway and bridge crossings, is currently under
design, and is divided into multiple phases, including:
Phase 4A includes work on the existing eastbound south innerbelt at
Front St and High St.
Phase 4B, while currently in design, is not scheduled to start
construction until 2023, per ODOT’s schedule. The project reconstructs the High Street, Third
Street and Fourth Street bridges over I-70.
Phase 4R, is scheduled to start construction in 2020, with a
planned construction completion in 2023.
The project constructs a new ramp and bridge from eastbound I-70 to
Fulton Street, reconstructs the Front Street bridge over I-70, makes improvements
to Livingston Avenue between Front Street and High Street including conversion
to two-way traffic, makes improvements to Fulton Street between Front Street
and High Street including conversion to one-way eastbound, makes improvements
to Mound Street between Front Street and High Street including conversion to
one-way westbound, and improvements to Front Street between Livingston Avenue
and Mound Street including conversion to two-way traffic.
Phase 5, is
primarily the rehabilitation of I-70 between 18th Street and Fairwood Avenue
including the Ohio, Champion, Linwood, Miller, and Kelton bridges. This project is not scheduled to start
construction until 2035 per ODOT’s current schedule.
Phase 6, which is
focused on the I-70, I-71, and SR-315 West interchange, has been divided up
into multiple phases.
Phase 6A includes work on the existing westbound
south innerbelt at Front St and High St.
Phase 6R, is scheduled to start construction in 2021, with a
planned construction completion in 2024.
The project constructs a new ramp and bridge from Mound Street onto
westbound I-70, makes improvements to Mound Street between Short Street and
Front Street, and makes improvements to Short Street between Fulton Street and
Mound Street.
Phases 6B, 6C, and 6D include improvements to the west interchange,
including roadways, ramps, and bridges north on SR-315 to Broad Street, west on
I-70 to Central Avenue, and south on I-71 to Greenlawn Avenue. These projects
are not scheduled to start construction until 2035 per ODOT’s current schedule.
Long Street, Parsons
Avenue and Livingston Avenue, which have direct connections to the urban
avenues or segments of the I-70 / I-71 corridor, are city funded improvements to
complete connections between ODOT’s improvements and City adjacent
neighborhoods.
Long Street – completed in 2013.
Parsons Avenue – completed in 2019.
Livingston Avenue Phase A – to be constructed with ODOT Phase 4R
project, with construction starting in 2020.
Livingston Avenue Phase B – currently
under design, with construction scheduled for 2022.
Livingston Avenue Phase C – currently in
construction, to be completed in 2020.
Federal, state, and
local dollars are being pulled together for design, right-of-way
acquisition, utility undergrounding, construction, and construction management.
Funding is subject to future allocations
through the Ohio Department of Transportation's Transportation Review Advisory
Council (TRAC) and Columbus City Council.
All Combined Funding Sources: $1.35 billion
City of
Columbus Funding:
Previously Funded: $46.7 million 51.4%
Future Requested: $46.0 million 49.6%
Total $92.7
million
CONTACT INFORMATION:
City of
Columbus Project Manager: Doug Roberts, P.E., (614) 645-3973
ODOT Project
Manager: Steve
Fellenger, P.E., (740) 833-8272
Updated: March
2020