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I-73 updates?

Started by Buummu, April 27, 2011, 12:39:37 AM

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Buck87

Quote from: TempoNick on November 19, 2021, 11:27:53 AM
What does RIRO stand for? I'm guessing right in, right out?

That is correct.


Hot Rod Hootenanny

And just like 25 years ago, Northern Delaware County has become NIMBY central for Ohio...
https://www.delgazette.com/news/94203/opposition-mounts-to-route-23-plans
Please, don't sue Alex & Andy over what I wrote above

vtk

I'm at an ODOT meeting in Delaware right now, and I'm surprised how many people are expressing that the west and east options would be not good enough at best, atrocities at worst. Support for the central option ranges from considering it the least bad solution, to outright enthusiasm.

It seems like most of the people here are rural residents and farmers. The voices of the Delaware business community and suburban residents along 23 are apparently not present tonight. I still fear those voices could kill a central proposal.
Wait, it's all Ohio? Always has been.

Hot Rod Hootenanny

Quote from: vtk on January 19, 2022, 07:53:50 PM
I'm at an ODOT meeting in Delaware right now, and I'm surprised how many people are expressing that the west and east options would be not good enough at best, atrocities at worst. Support for the central option ranges from considering it the least bad solution, to outright enthusiasm.

It seems like most of the people here are rural residents and farmers. The voices of the Delaware business community and suburban residents along 23 are apparently not present tonight. I still fear those voices could kill a central proposal.
I sat 5 feet to right of vtk at the meeting. I'd say 600 people attended the meeting. About 30-40 (including vtk) took the opportunity to address the crowd & ODOT reps in attendance. The most vocal are going to be those directly affected by a new road, and right now that's going to be folks living in Northern Delaware County. Business interests in Delaware and along US 23 south are staying mum till something is concrete.
On the other hand, whomever owns the land around the I-71 interchange with US 36/Oh 37, will be applying pressure for an "eastern" route that directs more traffic to their development. All the "soon-to-be-retired" farmers won't be able to match that financial might. 
Please, don't sue Alex & Andy over what I wrote above

seicer

#229
Well, many of those farms are now owned by larger interests and those farmers are merely leasing the land. With a massive semi-conductor chip factory coming to New Albany, there will be intense pressure to get that land developed since it's relatively close by.

South of Columbus, I am curious as to when the improvements to the I-270 interchange and Rathmell Road will start. I can't recall what is being done, but it looks like some ramps will be reconfigured at I-270 to still provide free-flowing options for an eventual freeway conversation southward. The long-term goal is still to convert the highway south of Columbus toward South Bloomfield into a freeway.

Strider

Quote from: Hot Rod Hootenanny on January 19, 2022, 09:44:55 PM
Quote from: vtk on January 19, 2022, 07:53:50 PM
I'm at an ODOT meeting in Delaware right now, and I'm surprised how many people are expressing that the west and east options would be not good enough at best, atrocities at worst. Support for the central option ranges from considering it the least bad solution, to outright enthusiasm.

It seems like most of the people here are rural residents and farmers. The voices of the Delaware business community and suburban residents along 23 are apparently not present tonight. I still fear those voices could kill a central proposal.
I sat 5 feet to right of vtk at the meeting. I'd say 600 people attended the meeting. About 30-40 (including vtk) took the opportunity to address the crowd & ODOT reps in attendance. The most vocal are going to be those directly affected by a new road, and right now that's going to be folks living in Northern Delaware County. Business interests in Delaware and along US 23 south are staying mum till something is concrete.
On the other hand, whomever owns the land around the I-71 interchange with US 36/Oh 37, will be applying pressure for an "eastern" route that directs more traffic to their development. All the "soon-to-be-retired" farmers won't be able to match that financial might.


What was your take on the meeting? Was it positive or negative or...?

The Ghostbuster

I don't think any of us will live to see Interstate 73 go very far into Virginia, let alone West Virginia, Ohio or Michigan. It seems more likely we will see Interstate 73 in South Carolina, but how soon is anyone's guess.

MATraveler128

Quote from: The Ghostbuster on January 20, 2022, 04:54:50 PM
I don't think any of us will live to see Interstate 73 go very far into Virginia, let alone West Virginia, Ohio or Michigan. It seems more likely we will see Interstate 73 in South Carolina, but how soon is anyone's guess.

I would say so. Ohio and Michigan are done building any Interstates period, end of story. I think it may eventually reach Virginia and South Carolina, but West Virginia is broke and can't afford to plow an Interstate through the mountains.
Decommission 128 south of Peabody!

Lowest untraveled number: 56

Hot Rod Hootenanny

Quote from: Strider on January 20, 2022, 11:51:01 AM
Quote from: Hot Rod Hootenanny on January 19, 2022, 09:44:55 PM
Quote from: vtk on January 19, 2022, 07:53:50 PM
I'm at an ODOT meeting in Delaware right now, and I'm surprised how many people are expressing that the west and east options would be not good enough at best, atrocities at worst. Support for the central option ranges from considering it the least bad solution, to outright enthusiasm.

It seems like most of the people here are rural residents and farmers. The voices of the Delaware business community and suburban residents along 23 are apparently not present tonight. I still fear those voices could kill a central proposal.
I sat 5 feet to right of vtk at the meeting. I'd say 600 people attended the meeting. About 30-40 (including vtk) took the opportunity to address the crowd & ODOT reps in attendance. The most vocal are going to be those directly affected by a new road, and right now that's going to be folks living in Northern Delaware County. Business interests in Delaware and along US 23 south are staying mum till something is concrete.
On the other hand, whomever owns the land around the I-71 interchange with US 36/Oh 37, will be applying pressure for an "eastern" route that directs more traffic to their development. All the "soon-to-be-retired" farmers won't be able to match that financial might.


What was your take on the meeting? Was it positive or negative or...?
Neither.
It felt more like ODOT was letting the speakers vent. They had graphics showing how much traffic uses US 23 through Delaware County. They showed how much traffic stays on US 23 versus looking for alternative routes between Delaware and I-270. But no spaghetti diagrams showing any inkling of actual routes. Just several broad regions of possibility to either side of Delaware/US 23.
Please, don't sue Alex & Andy over what I wrote above

Hot Rod Hootenanny

Columbus Dispatch's paywall account of last night gathering (minus pictures)


DELAWARE – People in northern Delaware County are worried that changes to Route 23 could cost them farmland and their rural way of life.

The Ohio Department of Transportation is studying options for clearing congestion on Rt. 23 and creating a more direct route between Columbus and Toledo. Right now, they are looking at six options, including turning the highway into a freeway.

On Wednesday, around 400 people showed up at the Delaware County Fairgrounds to weigh in on the project for the second of four scheduled public meetings.

Many residents said they have watched construction projects in central Ohio expand beyond Columbus into outlying rural areas and take over farmland before.

"We've seen this," said Mark Hope, a grain farmer whose family has several hundred acres of land across the county. "Eminent domain is no good."


Some Delaware County residents oppose Rt. 23 upgrade
Residents created a website, No Route 23 Connect at nohwy.com, to implore people to oppose a freeway through rural Delaware County.

Rt. 23, which runs in Ohio from Portsmouth to Sylvania, is especially congested from Interstate 270 to Waldo in Marion County. As Columbus grows, transportation officials worry that will only get worse. There are 38 traffic lights between Waldo and I-270 alone, and anywhere from 30,000 to 80,000 vehicles drive through Rt. 23 daily.

ODOT began studying the options for clearing congestion last spring.

Project managers from the Ohio Department of Transportation held a public meeting Wednesday to seek input on potential plans to decrease congestion on Route 23.
Breanna Badanes, ODOT's spokesperson for central Ohio, said the study, Route 23 Connect, is still in preliminary planning stages. So far there are six renovation options the department is considering in collaboration with the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission and Toledo Metropolitan Area Council of Governments.

"It will take several years before we get close to construction," she said. "But everyone agrees something needs to be done about traffic on 23."

What are options to fix Route 23 congestion?
Two of those concepts would connect Rt. 23 to U.S. Route 33, Interstate 270 and/or U.S. Route 42 on the western side of Delaware County. Three concepts would connect Rt. 23 to I-71, I-270 and/or U.S. Route 36/State Route 37 on the eastern side of the county.

A sixth option would upgrade the existing Rt. 23 into a freeway by adding through lanes and replacing interchanges.

Thom Slack, an ODOT manager for the Route 23 Connect project, explained that the department will use a variety of factors to determine which concept deserves further study.

Those factors include anything from potential travel time, residential displacement, endangered species and estimated costs.


Fears over rural Delaware County's future
More than two dozen residents spoke up during the public comment portion of the meeting.

Molly Queen read from a prepared statement during her comment, as she furiously raised concerns about the impact any of the proposed concepts would have on Delaware County's environment.

"We cannot destroy what's left of our natural habitat," she said. "This poses a level of environmental disregard that's shameful."

Other farmers defended their way of life.

"This work is sunup to sundown, I'm not sure if you know that," one woman said to the project managers. "We can rebuild our homes, but we can't get our farmland back."

Susan Barr stepped up to the microphone to pose a question to the crowd assembled.

"How many of you feel this would impact your property?" she asked, gesturing to ODOT's presentation up front.

Hundreds of hands shot up.

"We have in no way figured this out yet," Slack said Wednesday. "That's why we're here tonight to get more feedback."

"We do not seek to come in and break up every farm," he added.

The Route 23 project managers reiterated throughout the meeting that their efforts will improve the overall safety of the region, reduce congestion and align with the community's goals.

"This is the moment, if we all decide to grab it," Chris Hermann said, "to make real change."

Hermann, an urban planner and public engagement manager on ODOT's team, explained that by 2040, Delaware County is expected to add more than 85,000 new residents and Columbus is projected to add a million.

"In 20 years, it's going to be much worse," he added.

The department wants to hear from everyone impacted, so they can factor in all feedback before deciding which concept to further study and evaluate.

People have until Feb. 28 to issue a public comment to the ODOT:

By email at d06.pio@dot.ohio.gov
By telephone at 740-833-8268       
Online at transportation.ohio.gov/23connect
The next meeting will be a virtual public comment session at 12 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 27, which anyone can register for at publicinput.com/23connect.

Céilí Doyle is a Report for America corps member and covers rural issues in Ohio for The Dispatch. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep her writing stories like this one. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation at https://bit.ly/3fNsGaZ.

cdoyle@dispatch.com

@cadoyle_18
Please, don't sue Alex & Andy over what I wrote above

Hot Rod Hootenanny

Please, don't sue Alex & Andy over what I wrote above

SkyPesos

Quote from: BlueOutback7 on January 20, 2022, 05:01:31 PM
Quote from: The Ghostbuster on January 20, 2022, 04:54:50 PM
I don't think any of us will live to see Interstate 73 go very far into Virginia, let alone West Virginia, Ohio or Michigan. It seems more likely we will see Interstate 73 in South Carolina, but how soon is anyone's guess.

I would say so. Ohio and Michigan are done building any Interstates period, end of story. I think it may eventually reach Virginia and South Carolina, but West Virginia is broke and can't afford to plow an Interstate through the mountains.
The I-73 number is long dead in Ohio. But as you can see in the thread right now, ODOT still wants to upgrade the portion of US 23 between I-270 and Waldo, either with a direct upgrade, or a new parallel freeway. So while it will most likely never carry the I-73 number, it's part of what used to be Ohio's I-73 plans.

Strider

Quote from: BlueOutback7 on January 20, 2022, 05:01:31 PM
Quote from: The Ghostbuster on January 20, 2022, 04:54:50 PM
I don't think any of us will live to see Interstate 73 go very far into Virginia, let alone West Virginia, Ohio or Michigan. It seems more likely we will see Interstate 73 in South Carolina, but how soon is anyone's guess.

I would say so. Ohio and Michigan are done building any Interstates period, end of story. I think it may eventually reach Virginia and South Carolina, but West Virginia is broke and can't afford to plow an Interstate through the mountains.

Interstate 73 will eventually go between Roanoke and Myrtle Beach, that is it. I don't think we are going to see I-73 past Roanoke. Can't see it happening either.

vtk

I find the TV news outlets oversimplify the matter in their reporting. The Dispatch article is better, but still doesn't quite capture the full spectrum of sentiments voiced at the meeting, in my opinion. Also, all the the outlets are parroting complaints that seem to be based on the misconception that the entire swath of land indicated in each concept map would be taken by eminent domain should that concept be advanced. That misconception was addressed at the meeting, but many people still seemed to imagine dozens of entire farms being wiped out.
Wait, it's all Ohio? Always has been.

Rushmeister

Quote from: Henry on November 16, 2021, 10:24:33 AM
In the following order of high to low, my preferences are: E1, W1 and C1.

Aargh!  You sunk my battleship!
...and then the psychiatrist chuckled.

tigerwings

I wouldn't use the western option if built. I usually going to I-70 east towards Wheeling. For years I've been taking 36/37 to I-71 to I-270.

ODOT needs to factor in, if they can, where the traffic is going after it gets to Columbus.

SkyPesos

Quote from: tigerwings on January 21, 2022, 05:31:40 PM
I wouldn't use the western option if built. I usually going to I-70 east towards Wheeling. For years I've been taking 36/37 to I-71 to I-270.

ODOT needs to factor in, if they can, where the traffic is going after it gets to Columbus.
I'm guessing to the southeast, via US 33 or US 23/35.

TempoNick

#242
The new Intel plant is going to dictate the eastern option. Part of the reason Intel is building here is because of car manufacturing. Route 23 needs to be fixed for that purpose.

Maybe I-73 is dead, but that doesn't mean there can't be an I-175 or whatever number might be available. The interstate shield is very important if you are from out of the area. It tells you if a road is going to be all freeway instead of a mishmash of roads.

SkyPesos

Quote from: TempoNick on January 22, 2022, 12:56:45 AM
The interstate shield is very important if you are from out of the area.
ODOT doesn't think so. It seems like that they're done with new interstates.

TempoNick

Quote from: SkyPesos on January 22, 2022, 01:00:49 AM
Quote from: TempoNick on January 22, 2022, 12:56:45 AM
The interstate shield is very important if you are from out of the area.
ODOT doesn't think so. It seems like that they're done with new interstates.

ODOT needs to put itself in the position of travelers who aren't local to the area.

sprjus4

This is approaching fictional, but...

All concepts of I-73 aside, the US-23 corridor between Columbus and I-75, at roughly 83 miles (give or take depending where Waldo to Columbus is constructed), is a reasonable I-x75 candidate IMO.

It would provide an interstate highway connection between Columbus and Toledo, and further to Detroit and the rest of Michigan.

Hot Rod Hootenanny

Quote from: TempoNick on January 22, 2022, 03:03:54 AM
Quote from: SkyPesos on January 22, 2022, 01:00:49 AM
Quote from: TempoNick on January 22, 2022, 12:56:45 AM
The interstate shield is very important if you are from out of the area.
ODOT doesn't think so. It seems like that they're done with new interstates.

ODOT needs to put itself in the position of travelers who aren't local to the area.

A decade ago, Akron/Summit county attempted to convince ODOT to renumber Oh 8, between I-271 & I-76/77 as an interstate spur. ODOT did nothing. 
Please, don't sue Alex & Andy over what I wrote above

MATraveler128

I think OH 8 was supposed to be I-380 IIRC. The county should have went for an x77 number instead.
Decommission 128 south of Peabody!

Lowest untraveled number: 56

SkyPesos

Quote from: sprjus4 on January 22, 2022, 03:22:25 AM
This is approaching fictional, but...

All concepts of I-73 aside, the US-23 corridor between Columbus and I-75, at roughly 83 miles (give or take depending where Waldo to Columbus is constructed), is a reasonable I-x75 candidate IMO.

It would provide an interstate highway connection between Columbus and Toledo, and further to Detroit and the rest of Michigan.
Imo if US 23/OH 15 between Columbus and Findlay becomes an interstate, I would call it a northern I-73. Yes, it will never connect to the segment(s) in the Carolinas, but neither will I-74, or I-69 between Memphis and Tenaha..

Ryctor2018

Quote from: Hot Rod Hootenanny on January 22, 2022, 12:34:44 PM
Quote from: TempoNick on January 22, 2022, 03:03:54 AM
Quote from: SkyPesos on January 22, 2022, 01:00:49 AM
Quote from: TempoNick on January 22, 2022, 12:56:45 AM
The interstate shield is very important if you are from out of the area.
ODOT doesn't think so. It seems like that they're done with new interstates.

ODOT needs to put itself in the position of travelers who aren't local to the area.

A decade ago, Akron/Summit county attempted to convince ODOT to renumber Oh 8, between I-271 & I-76/77 as an interstate spur. ODOT did nothing.

Ohio seems to care more that a route is four lanes and free flowing, rather than interstate standard. Not just US-23, but US-30, US-33, US-35, US-20, and OH-32. As long as the route is four-laned and free flowing, Ohio won't be concerned if it is interstate standard.

I like the eastern alignments. However, I am not from the area and haven't traveled that section of US-23 in years so I'm not up on the various alignments being planned.
2DI's traveled: 5, 8, 10, 12, 15, 20, 24, 30, 35, 39, 40, 41, 43, 44, 45, 49, 55, 57, 59, 64, 65, 66, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 85, 87, 88, 90, 93, 94, 95, 96



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