http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2009/04/21/copy/interstate71_on_hold.ART_ART_04-21-09_A1_6PDK7R5.html?adsec=politics&sid=101 (http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2009/04/21/copy/interstate71_on_hold.ART_ART_04-21-09_A1_6PDK7R5.html?adsec=politics&sid=101)
From the 4/21 edition of the Columbus Dispatch Politics section, the money has run out, and any chance of the remaining 25 miles of the Columbus-to-Cleveland stretch of I-71 left to be widened from four to six lanes between milemarkers 132 & 157 in Delaware & Morrow Counties has been put on the shelve indefinitely by O.D.O.T. (Click on the link above for the full story.)
If they only had the foresight to have the design work done, then they could have used the stimulus money to finish it. :banghead: :pan:
That's OK, Morrow Co. is the poorest county, north of I-70, in Ohio. Of course they are going to get shortchanged.
They should do what we're doing - use the shoulder as a running lane during busy periods. There's a detailed section on our DOT's website under the name ATM (Active Traffic Management) (http://www.highways.gov.uk/knowledge/1334.aspx) which contains some nice animations of how it works.
At first people were unsure of the safety impact and called it widening on the cheap. It has largely been successful and is gradually being rolled out across the network. Apart from the conventional widening works which are currently taking place it appears virtually all future widening will be ATM.
I'm sure if I-71 was widened using a similar method it could be affordable.
Massachusetts uses the 'shoulder lane' during rush hour, and for the most part it seems to work. Only problem is if a vehicle does breakdown, there better be a wrecker quickly to pull it clear, otherwise you create a rather dangerous bottleneck.
Sykotyk
Quote from: Sykotyk on June 21, 2009, 11:48:20 PM
Massachusetts uses the 'shoulder lane' during rush hour, and for the most part it seems to work. Only problem is if a vehicle does breakdown, there better be a wrecker quickly to pull it clear, otherwise you create a rather dangerous bottleneck.
Over here they have refuges every 1/2 mile to pull into if you break down, that's assuming you're near one or your vehicle is still mobile of course. There are automatic cameras covering every section of the shoulder so should any stalled vehicles be detected on the shoulder it will immediately be closed.