Nelsonville Bypass

[vtk]

Passed through again last night.  Was surprised to see that both directions of US 33 are now using the portion of the bypass west of Dorr Run Road.  That road, which is now signed as "EAST US 33" and "WEST US 33 DETOUR", has a speed limit of 50 MPH.  Although the press has reported that the name of this new road has changed to West Interchange Road, there is in fact no signage assigning any name to the road at all.  Where EB US 33 is forced to exit the bypass, the advance guide signs say only "Nelsonville".  The exit direction guide sign says that too, but it also has an ODOT "afterthought" panel on the bottom saying "Nelsonville Business Route".  Coming westbound, there are at least two instances of OH 33 shields at the interchange.

[vtk]

Looks like paving on the last section has started.  These were taken 17 July 2013:

[vtk]

WCMH-DT said today that the full bypass is scheduled to open in October, in a quick story about how "some" businesses on the main drag are already closing. The business they focused on was a produce stand.

[exit10]

The bypass opened on Tuesday. Here's the write-up from the Columbus Dispatch:

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2013/10/01/Nelsonville-bypass-opens.html

[Isaac829]

Is the old alignment of US 33 a bannered route, or is it unsigned?

[vtk]

Is the old alignment of US 33 a bannered route, or is it unsigned?

City of Nelsonville basically just replaced every "East" and "West" plaque with one that says "Business", and added a "Business" banner over every other US 33 shield.  ODOT hasn't been so thorough.  There's an auxiliary guide sign on westbound US 33 approaching the Happy Hollow interchange indicating "US 33 Nelsonville Business Route" is at the next exit, but the main guide signage only says OH 78 and OH 691.  At the Dorr Run interchange, the signs for the exit only say Nelsonville and/or Nelsonville Business Route.  It doesn't name the road (John Lloyd Evans Memorial Drive) or say anything about using this road to get to OH 278, which does not have an interchange with the bypass.

[Bitmapped]

Is the old alignment of US 33 a bannered route, or is it unsigned?

City of Nelsonville basically just replaced every "East" and "West" plaque with one that says "Business", and added a "Business" banner over every other US 33 shield.  ODOT hasn't been so thorough.  There's an auxiliary guide sign on westbound US 33 approaching the Happy Hollow interchange indicating "US 33 Nelsonville Business Route" is at the next exit, but the main guide signage only says OH 78 and OH 691.  At the Dorr Run interchange, the signs for the exit only say Nelsonville and/or Nelsonville Business Route.  It doesn't name the road (John Lloyd Evans Memorial Drive) or say anything about using this road to get to OH 278, which does not have an interchange with the bypass.

ODOT has historically done a poor job signing US business routes.  Business US 250 is basically only acknowledged at its ends even though the route is 5 miles long through town.  The various "Business US 30" incarnations have similar problems.

[Buck87]

Nice to see this project is finally done. Last time I was through there was in January when it was still in a "half done" stage with traffic still going through Nelsonville itself, but at least able to use new parts west of Dorr Run. Next time I head down south I'll be sure to use 33 and check out this completed bypass.

So with this bypass in place, I believe there's only 2 traffic lights left on 33 between I-70 and the Ohio River: Winchester Rd in Carroll and Pickerington Rd 2 miles NW of there. Am I missing any? 

And here is what ODOT has envisioned to get rid of the light in Carroll. Looks a little out of the way for the locals, but not much you can do there:
ODOT .pdf link

[PColumbus73]

Is the old alignment of US 33 a bannered route, or is it unsigned?

City of Nelsonville basically just replaced every "East" and "West" plaque with one that says "Business", and added a "Business" banner over every other US 33 shield.  ODOT hasn't been so thorough.  There's an auxiliary guide sign on westbound US 33 approaching the Happy Hollow interchange indicating "US 33 Nelsonville Business Route" is at the next exit, but the main guide signage only says OH 78 and OH 691.  At the Dorr Run interchange, the signs for the exit only say Nelsonville and/or Nelsonville Business Route.  It doesn't name the road (John Lloyd Evans Memorial Drive) or say anything about using this road to get to OH 278, which does not have an interchange with the bypass.

ODOT has historically done a poor job signing US business routes.  Business US 250 is basically only acknowledged at its ends even though the route is 5 miles long through town.  The various "Business US 30" incarnations have similar problems.

I think its really odd how the old US 33 through Lancaster was renamed "LANCASTER BUSINESS ROUTE" as opposed to Business US 33. In Chillicothe, Bridge Street (OH 159/104) is well signed as Business US 23.

[seicer]

Nice to see this project is finally done. Last time I was through there was in January when it was still in a "half done" stage with traffic still going through Nelsonville itself, but at least able to use new parts west of Dorr Run. Next time I head down south I'll be sure to use 33 and check out this completed bypass.

So with this bypass in place, I believe there's only 2 traffic lights left on 33 between I-70 and the Ohio River: Winchester Rd in Carroll and Pickerington Rd 2 miles NW of there. Am I missing any? 

And here is what ODOT has envisioned to get rid of the light in Carroll. Looks a little out of the way for the locals, but not much you can do there:
ODOT .pdf link

Both of those are scheduled for removal, and the completion of the needed expressway to freeway conversion in that area. They eliminated the light at SR 32 in Athens a few years back, and added free-flow movements about two years ago at OH 7 at Pomeroy to connect to the Pomeroy to Ravenswood segment that opened in the mid-2000s IIRC.

[vtk]

So with this bypass in place, I believe there's only 2 traffic lights left on 33 between I-70 and the Ohio River: Winchester Rd in Carroll and Pickerington Rd 2 miles NW of there. Am I missing any? 

Petzinger Rd, right between I-70 and OH 104.  I recently saw some alternatives to convert that to an interchange, but I can't remember if there's money for it yet.

Edit: Part of Far East Freeway Study, here's a PDF with the options being considered: [link].  It looks like the latest news is they've asked TRAC for funding (for a different phase of Far East Freeway Study not including this interchange), so I'd say look for construction sometime between 2018 and     .

[Buck87]

 

Both of those are scheduled for removal, and the completion of the needed expressway to freeway conversion in that area.

Ah yes, I see that there are several interchanges/overpasses planned, and that Pickerington wants theirs at Allen Rd instead of Pickerington Rd. Looks like most of these are a ways off, but at least the Carroll project was recently approved by TRAC. 

They eliminated the light at SR 32 in Athens a few years back, and added free-flow movements about two years ago at OH 7 at Pomeroy to connect to the Pomeroy to Ravenswood segment that opened in the mid-2000s IIRC.

And if I remember right, much of that Pomeroy-Ravenswood section has an already graded ROW paralleling it most of the way for easy upgrade to 4 lanes if necessary. Though I don't believe the same can be said for the Athens-Darwin part. Do the traffic volumes down there even justify it anyway? And of course, no matter how much of it gets converted to 4 lane in Ohio, there's still always going to be the 2 lane choke point on the Ohio River bridge and the intersections in Ravenswood.

Petzinger Rd, right between I-70 and OH 104.  I recently saw some alternatives to convert that to an interchange, but I can't remember if there's money for it yet.

Edit: Part of Far East Freeway Study, here's a PDF with the options being considered: [link].  It looks like the latest news is they've asked TRAC for funding (for a different phase of Far East Freeway Study not including this interchange), so I'd say look for construction sometime between 2018 and     .

Oh wow, what a sucky place for a light right between 2 free flowing interchanges. Interesting looking options on that link, 3 would be the cheap and easy fix, but would suck for the local neighborhoods, and 4 is by far the best looking one with a cost that's not too terribly worse than options 1 and 2. Though I can see why this isn't s huge priority right now, I'd rather see the parts east of 270 fully upgraded before they touch this, so that you're at least easily connected to one interstate before worrying about getting to the 2nd one.

[hbelkins]

And if I remember right, much of that Pomeroy-Ravenswood section has an already graded ROW paralleling it most of the way for easy upgrade to 4 lanes if necessary.

Nope.

And of course, no matter how much of it gets converted to 4 lane in Ohio, there's still always going to be the 2 lane choke point on the Ohio River bridge and the intersections in Ravenswood.

As little traffic is on that route, calling it a "choke point" is a gross exaggeration.

[Buck87]

Nope.

Yeah, I went and took a look on Google maps and it wasn't what I was thinking. There does appear to be some places where the ROW was left plenty wide on the northeast side of the road, but none of the pre-graded stuff like I was thinking, except for maybe here, unless that's just a wide ditch that looks that way, hard to tell for sure in street view.

I was posting from memory, and I think I may have superimposed a memory of driving the KY 67 Industrial Parkway onto my memory of US 33.

As little traffic is on that route, calling it a "choke point" is a gross exaggeration.

Good point. Poor choice of words on my part.

[seicer]

Both two-lane segments have right-of-way that is large enough for four-lanes, but it was not graded due to cost. The Industrial Parkway in Kentucky was an exception - I haven't seen that done much else, actually.

[hbelkins]

A pretty good portion of the two- and three-lane portion of KY 80 between London and Somerset, in Pulaski County, has ROW for an additional carriageway and in some place it's been noticeably graded, while others will require some fill because it looks as if a cut was made adjacent to the roadway for a "borrow site."

Although as many times as I've driven that road, I don't really see a need for a four-lane surface route, much less an "Interstate 66."

[vtk]

The two interchanges on the Nelsonville Bypass now have exit numbers.

Exit 182: (John Lloyd Evans Memorial Dr aka West Interchange Rd, TR 346 Simonton Rd)

Exit 185: SR 78, SR 691

The five interchanges through Logan remain unnumbered.  The several Athens-area interchanges remain quarter-assed wrt exit numbers.

[tdindy88]

I'd imagine that the Lancaster area interchanges too are unnumbered? I'll be heading down that way for a family function over Memorial Day and a plan of mine includes taking 33 all the way to Athens.

[vtk]

I'd imagine that the Lancaster area interchanges too are unnumbered? I'll be heading down that way for a family function over Memorial Day and a plan of mine includes taking 33 all the way to Athens.

Right. But now I'm having trouble remembering where I might have seen more exit numbers on US 33.  Maybe Wapakoneta? Maybe at the OH 7/124/833 junction?  Probably neither, but ODOT has been adding new exit numbers in spots all over the place so it's hard to keep track.  I wish they'd take a top-down approach with a goal to make the whole state consistent...