Ohio

[TempoNick]

Any Interstate along the US 23 corridor should diverge from 23 at Carey, and follow OH 15 to Interstate 75. Since the Carey-to-US 20 segment is a two-lane highway with no bypasses, an upgrade to that segment of 23 is probably unnecessary (unless the traffic volumes of the corridor warrant an expansion to four lanes, which I doubt). The majority of through traffic between Carey and Findlay probably already use OH 15-to-Interstate 75 for Toledo-bound traffic anyway, so building a duplicate corridor along US 23 likely isn't needed.

Thinking about this long-term, it might not be such a bad idea to divert traffic to the east of Findlay.  remember, i-75 going through Findlay is kind of an urban-ish section of freeway. Might not be such a bad idea to take traffic off of that stretch of road before you get to Findlay going south.

Of course, there is the issue of funding.

[carbaugh2]

A few thoughts on recent posts:

1. The bill specifies that the only possible turnpike would be a new connector between 71 and 23 at Waldo, and I am slightly disappointed that the bill doesn't name it the vtk freeway . Please, no more 71 to 280 or similar toll road proposals here.

I agree that such a connector would be viable as a toll road, but I could also see a proposal for the tolls getting retired once the original construction funding is repaid. I am curious to see how ODOT and the Turnpike Commission work through this together.

2. If Ohio wants to claim it is a logistics hub (and it is an accurate one), then it needs to have an interstate quality north-south route running through the center of the state. It also needs an interstate quality east-west route running from Cincinnati to Parkersburg. US 23 and Ohio 32 are the right current routes to use for upgrades.

3. Any realistic I-73 proposal will follow I-75 to the Ohio 15 interchange in Findlay (well said, Ghostbuster) for financial viability. I would much prefer to see any new construction in that area be for a 23 to Sandusky connector. I mean, there needs to be an easier and faster way to get to Cedar Point and Port Clinton.

4. US 33 from 77 at Ravenswood to 70 at exit 105 would make a long 3 digit interstate at 112 miles, but it's the right idea. I am looking forward to seeing 4 lanes from Athens to Ravenswood as well as the improvements between Lancaster and the Enterprise exit (which includes fixing the rest area ramps per the preliminary planning).

[TempoNick]

A few thoughts on recent posts:

1. The bill specifies that the only possible turnpike would be a new connector between 71 and 23 at Waldo, and I am slightly disappointed that the bill doesn't name it the vtk freeway . Please, no more 71 to 280 or similar toll road proposals here.

I still don't understand why they are not making use of US 36 / Ohio 37. For the most part, that is still usable as freeway and a bypass around Delaware seems to be the cheapest and most expedient way of going about this.

2. If Ohio wants to claim it is a logistics hub (and it is an accurate one), then it needs to have an interstate quality north-south route running through the center of the state. It also needs an interstate quality east-west route running from Cincinnati to Parkersburg. US 23 and Ohio 32 are the right current routes to use for upgrades.

I just look at what Indiana has and what is going through Indianapolis. We should have the same travel infrastructure going through here. Agreed.

3. Any realistic I-73 proposal will follow I-75 to the Ohio 15 interchange in Findlay (well said, Ghostbuster) for financial viability. I would much prefer to see any new construction in that area be for a 23 to Sandusky connector. I mean, there needs to be an easier and faster way to get to Cedar Point and Port Clinton.

I'm fine with that, but I'm not a fan of these interstates that run right through the middle of these smaller cities. Findlay, Zanesville and the Dover / New Philadelphia area all come to mind. I like the layout better in places like Mansfield where you are somewhat removed from the city and not going practically straight through the middle of it.

I realize funding makes this unrealistic, but if the expressway can't handle the capacity in the foreseeable feature, it's not like you need to build 50 miles worth of highway to get around Findlay and it's not like this is going to be prime real estate anyway. in fact, building a bypass through there might make it prime real estate. Maybe instead of a toll road, you come up with some kind of a tax based on the inflated value of the land because of the new highway.

4. US 33 from 77 at Ravenswood to 70 at exit 105 would make a long 3 digit interstate at 112 miles, but it's the right idea. I am looking forward to seeing 4 lanes from Athens to Ravenswood as well as the improvements between Lancaster and the Enterprise exit (which includes fixing the rest area ramps per the preliminary planning).

I guess you could just bite the bullet and call it I-73 then, but I kind of like the idea of signaling from Columbus that these are branches of I-75 and I-77. Of course, only a road geek would care. or maybe I-75c? (The C is for Columbus.)

[Bitmapped]

A few thoughts on recent posts:

2. If Ohio wants to claim it is a logistics hub (and it is an accurate one), then it needs to have an interstate quality north-south route running through the center of the state. It also needs an interstate quality east-west route running from Cincinnati to Parkersburg. US 23 and Ohio 32 are the right current routes to use for upgrades.

Traffic on SR 32 is minimal once yet get past the Cincinnati exurbs. Most of the route east of US 62 to Athens is under 7000 AADT, with parts towards Jackson and Vinton counties below 4000 vehicles per day. Upgrading this corridor to a full freeway is wholly unjustified. It would also be impractical given the number of overpasses, interchanges, and side road connectors that would need to be built.

[PColumbus73]

A few thoughts on recent posts:

2. If Ohio wants to claim it is a logistics hub (and it is an accurate one), then it needs to have an interstate quality north-south route running through the center of the state. It also needs an interstate quality east-west route running from Cincinnati to Parkersburg. US 23 and Ohio 32 are the right current routes to use for upgrades.

Traffic on SR 32 is minimal once yet get past the Cincinnati exurbs. Most of the route east of US 62 to Athens is under 7000 AADT, with parts towards Jackson and Vinton counties below 4000 vehicles per day. Upgrading this corridor to a full freeway is wholly unjustified. It would also be impractical given the number of overpasses, interchanges, and side road connectors that would need to be built.

For interstate connectivity, I think an I-74 extension to Huntington would do more good than going to Parkersburg. Going to Parkersburg probably won't be as valuable unless it's followed up with an extension to I-79. Even then, outside of shunpiking the PA Turnpike, I don't really see it attracting much traffic from the nearby interstates.

[carbaugh2]

I see I riled the hornet's nest lol. Just because I think there should be an east-west interstate level roadway following the Ohio 32 corridor doesn't mean I have any delusion that it would happen. I know traffic counts are much lower (my Dad's family is from outside of Athens; that why the 33 expansion hits close to home). My entire point is that if Ohio wants to connect its industry and its people in all parts of the state, then there is a link missing across Southern Ohio in terms of having a freeway.

I saw something about connecting to Huntington, but I think that misses my point. With Parkersburg's close proximity to Marietta via I-77, it is a more efficient routing to connect Ohioans to one another in that part of the state. For example, my former coworker who lives in South Point told me that he always visited his family in Noble County using I-64 and I-77 (yes, via Charleston) rather than driving Ohio 7 to Marietta. I am following the same logic.

But again, I am only looking at the ideal here. I am not saying that it will ever get built.

[PColumbus73]

And it sounds like the counter argument is that for east-west connectivity, OH 32 has adequate capacity and is of high quality even though it's not a freeway. I don't think it's kicking up a hornet's nest, but I disagree with the position that it must be an interstate or it's not good enough.

And regarding Huntington vs. Parkersburg, I think it's more a matter of building something that would see substantive usage. Assuming I-74 were extended to I-77 in Parkersburg, then it would have to make a hard 90^o turn to either I-64 or I-70. So outside interests in Southeast Ohio, who would benefit from I-74 ending at Parkersburg or Marietta?

Taking I-74 to Huntington would be a natural extension as it would facilitate travel to the Southeast U.S. more efficiently. I-74 to Parkersburg would be a more Mid-Atlantic / Northeast corridor contingent on it reaching I-79.

Converting OH 7 to a four-lane expressway between Huntington and Wheeling would do a lot for interests in Southeast Ohio, similar to US 35 and Corridor H in West Virginia.

[TempoNick]

Where does US 35 fit in with all this? It's been a while since I've taken it all the way through Southeast ohio, but from Xenia to about 10 miles before Jackson, it's a pretty nice road.

[Bitmapped]

Converting OH 7 to a four-lane expressway between Huntington and Wheeling would do a lot for interests in Southeast Ohio, similar to US 35 and Corridor H in West Virginia.

WVDOH's long-term goal is to make all of WV 2 a four-lane corridor. They are slowly filling in the gaps between Moundsville and New Martinsville, and Huntington to Point Pleasant is back on the radar with recent industry projects in Mason County. The big unanswered question is where the funding is going to pay for any further work.

The towns along the Ohio River make four-laning the rest of either the OH 7 or WV 2 corridors difficult. OH 7 is generally better except for slogs going through Marietta and Gallipolis. Driving the corridor tends to involve bouncing back and forth across the river to bypass towns. Starting from Huntington, the fastest route is:
- WV 2 north to Point Pleasant
- US 35 north/west to Gallipolis
- OH 7 north to Belpre
- US 50 east to I-77 at Parkersburg
- I-77/WV 2 north around Parkersburg
- WV 2 north to WV/OH 807 at St. Marys
- WV/OH 807 across the Ohio River
- OH 7 the rest of the way north to East Liverpool/Chester

Where does US 35 fit in with all this? It's been a while since I've taken it all the way through Southeast ohio, but from Xenia to about 10 miles before Jackson, it's a pretty nice road.

US 35 is still a nice 4-lane highway east of Richmond Dale. Not everything needs to be a freeway.

[sprjus4]

While not all these roads need to be freeway grade, especially the lower traffic ones, it certainly would be nice for roads like SR 32 to be posted at 65 mph or 70 mph, as opposed to 60 mph. Very nice, high quality roadways with long sight lines... West Virginia uses 65 mph, not sure why Ohio can't.

[TempoNick]

US 35 is still a nice 4-lane highway east of Richmond Dale. Not everything needs to be a freeway.

Indeed, but I was in Jackson within the last couple of months and it seemed like some of those intersections could be designed better. Getting in and out of that rest area going eastbound seemed to be a little confusing to me, as just one example.

They should come up with a special marker for these roads like US 35 that are pretty good quality roads, but not interstates. Maybe the US shield but with a different color. There has to be a better way to signal to drivers that you're not going to end up on some twisty turny road like I once did when I turned off on US 52 I think in the Whytheville area.

[The Ghostbuster]

I've noticed there are exit numbers on the signs right at the exits themselves, but no exit number tabs on the overhead/side-of-the-road signs. Does anyone know why that is? Hopefully, the replacement signs for the existing signs will have exit number tabs added to them.

[GCrites]

The 2026-'29 Ohio Statewide Transportation Improvement Plan is out: https://dam.assets.ohio.gov/image/upload/transportation.ohio.gov/stip/2026-2029STIPDRAFT/2026-2029STIP-Draft.pdf

[Buck87]

https://norwalkreflector.com/news/568440/roundabout-work-starts-soon/

The roundabout at OH 18 and OH 601 is now under construction, and Summit Motorsports Park is not happy with the idea.

[TempoNick]

https://norwalkreflector.com/news/568440/roundabout-work-starts-soon/

The roundabout at OH 18 and OH 601 is now under construction, and Summit Motorsports Park is not happy with the idea.

From the article: "The letter also questioned the data collection and the appropriateness of a roundabout near the entrance/exit of a large venue."

Sounds a lot like what happened with all the RIROs planned for US 23. ODOT is broken.

[Buck87]

The 2026-'29 Ohio Statewide Transportation Improvement Plan is out: https://dam.assets.ohio.gov/image/upload/transportation.ohio.gov/stip/2026-2029STIPDRAFT/2026-2029STIP-Draft.pdf

Interesting to see a roundabout on there for the OH 420/Libbey Rd intersection. That is the traffic light that provides access to a few truck stops immediately south of the I-280/Ohio Turnpike interchange. It says it will be a 2 lane roundabout.

[carbaugh2]

While not all these roads need to be freeway grade, especially the lower traffic ones, it certainly would be nice for roads like SR 32 to be posted at 65 mph or 70 mph, as opposed to 60 mph. Very nice, high quality roadways with long sight lines... West Virginia uses 65 mph, not sure why Ohio can't.

The 60-mph speed limit is due to Ohio Revised Code 4511.21(B)(12). In order for the speed limit to increase to 65, it must have at least 50% of its intersections be grade separated and have 0 traffic lights. The road can be signed at 70 mph if it is a full freeway.

[carbaugh2]

And it sounds like the counter argument is that for east-west connectivity, OH 32 has adequate capacity and is of high quality even though it's not a freeway. I don't think it's kicking up a hornet's nest, but I disagree with the position that it must be an interstate or it's not good enough.

And regarding Huntington vs. Parkersburg, I think it's more a matter of building something that would see substantive usage. Assuming I-74 were extended to I-77 in Parkersburg, then it would have to make a hard 90^o turn to either I-64 or I-70. So outside interests in Southeast Ohio, who would benefit from I-74 ending at Parkersburg or Marietta?

Taking I-74 to Huntington would be a natural extension as it would facilitate travel to the Southeast U.S. more efficiently. I-74 to Parkersburg would be a more Mid-Atlantic / Northeast corridor contingent on it reaching I-79.

Converting OH 7 to a four-lane expressway between Huntington and Wheeling would do a lot for interests in Southeast Ohio, similar to US 35 and Corridor H in West Virginia.

My concern isn't so much having an interstate designation; rather, it is getting a free flowing 65-70 mph connection between Cincinnati and Athens, which is the one city in Southeast Ohio that is growing and is home to Ohio University, the major university in the region. I originally stated Parkersburg since that is where Ohio 32 ends. In Ohio, the only way to do that is to build overpasses and interchanges (see above post on speed limits). Like I said previously, I don't see it happening in my lifetime, but I still think that it is a missing link in my state.

[The Ghostbuster]

Why does OH 32 have such a long co-currently with US 50 and OH 7? Was it the only way to make 32 a cross-state highway? I think OH 32 should've ended at its junction with US 50 west of Athens. The portion of 32 in Belpre could have been part of OH 124.

[vtk]

They wanted a single number for the entire "Appalachian Highway", a. k. a. Appalachian Development Corridor D's portion in Ohio. Probably the same logic behind keeping OH 3 as it is, despite the whole southern half overlapping US 22 or US 62.
Why they didn't bother doing the same with Columbus to Findlay, Columbus to Greenup, or Columbus via Uhrichsville to Steubenville, is a mystery to me.

[sprjus4]

And it sounds like the counter argument is that for east-west connectivity, OH 32 has adequate capacity and is of high quality even though it's not a freeway. I don't think it's kicking up a hornet's nest, but I disagree with the position that it must be an interstate or it's not good enough.

And regarding Huntington vs. Parkersburg, I think it's more a matter of building something that would see substantive usage. Assuming I-74 were extended to I-77 in Parkersburg, then it would have to make a hard 90^o turn to either I-64 or I-70. So outside interests in Southeast Ohio, who would benefit from I-74 ending at Parkersburg or Marietta?

Taking I-74 to Huntington would be a natural extension as it would facilitate travel to the Southeast U.S. more efficiently. I-74 to Parkersburg would be a more Mid-Atlantic / Northeast corridor contingent on it reaching I-79.

Converting OH 7 to a four-lane expressway between Huntington and Wheeling would do a lot for interests in Southeast Ohio, similar to US 35 and Corridor H in West Virginia.

My concern isn't so much having an interstate designation; rather, it is getting a free flowing 65-70 mph connection between Cincinnati and Athens, which is the one city in Southeast Ohio that is growing and is home to Ohio University, the major university in the region. I originally stated Parkersburg since that is where Ohio 32 ends. In Ohio, the only way to do that is to build overpasses and interchanges (see above post on speed limits). Like I said previously, I don't see it happening in my lifetime, but I still think that it is a missing link in my state.

Revising the speed limit law might address this issue. I can't imagine there would be any issues from an engineering and safety perspective from bumping the limit to 65 mph. The requirement of 50% overpasses or whatever doesn't seem practical in an area like this.

West Virginia's corridor highways are identical to how OH-32 is, and have 65 mph speed limits - some that go right through signalized intersections!

[TempoNick]

Why does OH 32 have such a long co-currently with US 50 and OH 7? Was it the only way to make 32 a cross-state highway? I think OH 32 should've ended at its junction with US 50 west of Athens. The portion of 32 in Belpre could have been part of OH 124.

Because if they didn't do things that way, you would have a stupidity like Ohio 161/37/16. Iowa 27 also provides a unified number that runs the course of several different state routes along the "Avenue of the Saints."

[GCrites]

They wanted a single number for the entire "Appalachian Highway", a. k. a. Appalachian Development Corridor D's portion in Ohio. Probably the same logic behind keeping OH 3 as it is, despite the whole southern half overlapping US 22 or US 62.
Why they didn't bother doing the same with Columbus to Findlay, Columbus to Greenup, or Columbus via Uhrichsville to Steubenville, is a mystery to me.

OH-8 used to start at Public Square in Cleveland and go all the way to Fly on the Ohio River. Now OH-8 stops at I-271 and the parts south are OH-800. I'm not sure if it's because the parts that are still 8 have greater volume and are more improved or what. Wikipedia says it's to avoid numbering conflicts but that wouldn't have happened anyway.

[thenetwork]

They wanted a single number for the entire "Appalachian Highway", a. k. a. Appalachian Development Corridor D's portion in Ohio. Probably the same logic behind keeping OH 3 as it is, despite the whole southern half overlapping US 22 or US 62.
Why they didn't bother doing the same with Columbus to Findlay, Columbus to Greenup, or Columbus via Uhrichsville to Steubenville, is a mystery to me.

OH-8 used to start at Public Square in Cleveland and go all the way to Fly on the Ohio River. Now OH-8 stops at I-271 and the parts south are OH-800. I'm not sure if it's because the parts that are still 8 have greater volume and are more improved or what. Wikipedia says it's to avoid numbering conflicts but that wouldn't have happened anyway.

Actually SR-8 ends at Akron's Central Interchange with I-76 & 77.

[GCrites]

Oh I see, there's a gap between 8 and 800 now.