Ohio Interstate System

[CMHroads]

My first post...

I've attempted to email and discuss with ODOT, but all I get is the same "Ohio has the 5th largest interstate system in the country"  and "it serves the state well."   Sure, we have a large system, but what about evolving?  Look at Indianapolis.  It has interstates branching off in every direction.  I-69 will also soon extend from there.  Now look at Columbus, a city nearly the same size.  We have 71 to the NE and SW and 70 to the E and W.  What about to the SE?  Just the US33 expressway.  To the south?  Just the US 23 expressway.  To the north?  US 23.  To the NW?  US33 expressway.  This is my plan.  Extend I-68 from Morgantown across US 50 in both WV and OH.  Connect with US 33 and end at I-70 in Columbus.  This provided an excellent link to the East Coast.  Upgrade OH 32 into I-74.  Route it around I-275 to meet up with I-74.  Renumber the remainder of I-74 inside 275 as 274.  Upgrade US 23 to I-73.  Route it around I-270 to I-71 north and build a connector to run it over to US 23 on up to Toledo.  Why did Toledo get the shaft when other big cities were connected to Columbus?  Continue the 161 freeway over to I-77.  Upgrade US 33 from I-270 (NW Quad) over to I-75.  No need to make them interstates, though 875 for the NW freeway and 870 for the 161 Freeway have a nice ring to it.  Anyway, that is my pipe dream.  It will more than likely never happen.  I know funds aren't around for many new builds, but most of these routes only require upgrades not brand new alignments.  It doesn't even seem Ohio is "planning"  anything.  You can still plan even without money.  Other states are building new interstates and extending others.  Why not Ohio.  Let's evolve and expand our system.  The Appalachian Region of our state would love the growth an interstate such as my I-68 expansion would bring.  Anyway.  Any thoughts, comments, etc would be appreciated.  Be brutal.

[yanksfan6129]

I don't know, it looks to me (from my google earth view of the Columbus Metro Area) that its served pretty well by freeways. Doesn't have to be interstates.

[Chris]

A Toledo - Huntington interstate might be a good idea. Extend it via Jackson to Lansing, MI and further along US 127, and you'll have yourself a long interstate. Problem; which number should it get?

[CMHroads]

That's written into law as I-73.  Problem is, Ohio and MI have no interest in building it.  No money they say.  Well, somehow NC, SC, and VA are getting funds to build their sections.  It's supposed to run from Myrtle Beach to somewhere in Michigan.  Parts of I-73 are built in NC.  Ohio did do a big study for it even coming up with routings but it died it the late 1990's.  The drive to Toledo from Columbus is a nightmare.  It needs a freeway, even if it doesn't become I-73. 

[mightyace]

I lived in Ohio from 1985-1995 and I remember some talk about making a new toll road roughly following US 23 or what is now known as the I-73 corridor.  Obviously, nothing ever came of that.

Though, I'm surprised, Ohio hasn't revived that option.

[ctsignguy]

If I-73 is ever built in Ohio, i think it will simply be an upgrade of US 23/Ohio 15 to interstate standards, which will likely be decommissioned as a result, although it begs the question of how it gets routed through (or around) Columbus.....which is prolly why Ohio has never pursued it further

although it IS odd that there is no direct Interstate connections between Columbus and Detroit and Pittsburgh (although i did see an early map with I-70 projected to more closely follow US 22 from Cambridge to Pittsburgh, but evidently that plan was rerouted south to where I-70 resides now...

I think there were plans to extend I-74 along Ohio 32/US 50 as well....lack of real interest, plus probably years of lawsuits didnt appeal to anyone

as for I-68, i think one plan for it was to have it quietly end on I-470 or I-70 (maybe superseding 470 into Ohio) near Wheeling, thus provide a reasonably straight (and toll-free) alternative to I-70/76 (PA Tpke), plus avoid I-70 in west PA which is still a bad road and outdated for the heavy truck traffic it carries.....only issue i see with that might be US 68...may not be a problem if I-68 quietly ends at i-70 near wheeling (Illinois has I-24 and US 24...and they dont come within any kind of close contact with each other...

but who knows with ODOT....i gave up trying to figure them out years ago!

[CMHroads]

From I read, I-73 was to be routed along the eastern side of I-270 to where US23 heads south from the outerbelt.  It was also to have met with I-71 just south of the US36/Sr37 interchange north of Columbus.  There really isn't a whole lot of new road to be built for both I73 and I74.  Yes, a lot of bypasses probably and grade separations, but not brand new alignments.  If you look at the map of Ohio, the entire southeast region lacks any substantial freeway systems.  If Ohio is to ever have I-73 and extend I-74, then WV and VA will have to have their sections built first or have construction underway.

[Alex]

There is a plan to extend Interstate 68 west and north from its current end to Wheeling (probably via the U.S. 250 freeway) leading south. The W.Va. 2/Interstate 68 Authority group are the ones spearheading the drive for it, but they lack funding.

[CMHroads]

That 68 routing almost seems a waste, but I don't know.  Extending it further west would seem more beneficial to the region as a whole.  That segment could always become a 3di spur off 68. 

[corco]

I always assumed that I-73 would head up to the outerbelt and join it west to I-71 and then just follow that up to SR 315, which it would take through Columbus and then rejoin US-23 near the current Worthington interchange, but I suppose there isn't a huge need for two freeways roughly following the Worthington-Delaware corridor

[CMHroads]

There's no way to put a freeway where US23 meets 270 on the north side.  Thats a very develoed area.  US23 is a 45 mph arterial there.  Plus, SR315 would need upgraded to interstate standards.  I'm sure some of it doesn't meet it.  The big hang up before the 73 plan was killed, was where to route it once US23 entered Delaware.  Delaware residents went all NIMBY then when 73 was proposed to turn east and meet with I-71.   

[Sykotyk]

I don't see that US-250 alignment for an interstate to be worthwhile. I've driven it from I-70 to I-79 and find it to be horrible terrain for fast travel. The use of I-70 (the good stretch) to I-79 south to Morgantown is perfect for the traffic.  Anyone going further than Cumberland will probably be better suited to take I-70 all the way.

For a depressed area, I don't see how a short interstate over mountainous terrain when a suitable alternate works fine and is already constructed that this is anything other than a potential waste of resources.

Sykotyk

[juscuz410]

CTSignGuy,
I've thought of a connector b/w C-bus & Pgh. SR-161/16 freeway from I-270 to Dresden could be constructed to connect w/ US-22. The newer freeway I believe is of interstate quality, but don't quote me on it. It could happen and could be rerouted as I-72, but it's just an idea. Now I-73 on the other hand, that's an enigma on its own.

[CMHroads]

^Thats a good idea.  Not sure Ohio would ever do such a thing, but it would be nice.  Much better than taking I-70 to Pittsburgh.

[Revive 755]

^ Then what would we number the Fort to Port/US 24 corridor should it ever get upgraded to interstate standards?

[CMHroads]

^Well, both are moot points really, since Ohio doesn't want any more interstates.  I've heard/read that Ohio's portion of US24 is going to be expressway with at grade intersections.  But, point taken, I-72 makes sense there.  Perhaps make it a "western" I-78 (since its a lot closer to I-80 than I-70).  Or a 3di of some route.  It doesn't look like it'd be too long, shorter than PA's I-476 it seems.  A lot of the Columbus to Pittsburgh corridor IS being upgraded to freeway though as stated above.  I think I saw where there are 28 miles needed to be upgraded, though whether they will be freeway is unknown right now.

[juscuz410]

^More info on the c-bus-pgh corridor via the Mid Ohio Regional Planning Commission.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         http://www.morpc.org/trans/pi_CACAgenda20080602.pdf

[CMHroads]

^Very interesting reading.  Several different route names but if they signed them well with Pittsburgh eastbound and Columbus westbound I think it'd be a pretty easy way to go.  161 to 16 to 36 to 250 to 22 is pretty busy though.  One number would be better but I doubt they'd try to get an interstate designation even if they built the corridor to interstate standards.  Maybe christen a brand new state route or extend SR 161 over the entire thing. 

[CMHroads]

^I-74 is proposed to follow OH-32 from Cincinnati to US23 where I-73 will travel north to Columbus and South into WV roughly following US52.  It is beleived that I-73 would use the Portsmouth Bypass (OH-823).  I-73 would follow I-270 around Columbus more than likely and then merge with I-71 north of the city.  Around the Sunbury exit off 71, I-73 would veer to the west to meet US23.  Of course, this is all based on old studies done years ago by ODOT.  They have no plans to construct 73 or 74.  I live the 68 extension, though I see it traveling up US33 to Columbus.  US35 functions quite well as a stand-along freeway.  Long range plans have US33 as a freeway from Columbus to WV.  There was talk of a western bypass of Dayton a long time ago, but it never happened.  There was even talk of an I-875, a second outerbelt for Cincinnati.  I still think that if WV and VA build their sections of 73/74, Ohio will proceed to at least get the freeways to Cincinnati and Columbus, maybe not as far as Toldeo however.

[juscuz410]

I like the whole I-73 to southbelt I-270 in C-bus as well as possibly aligning the 161/37/216/36/22 fiasco to northbelt I-270 to where this project (that's I thought that I-72 would be a good pick) would follow to the 33/161 freeway from Dublin to Indian Lk region twds Ft. Wayne, to join at I-469 (but probably just a pipe dream!) as far as I-68 in Ohio is concerned, I would have it follow US-35W to Chillicothe, Wilmington, Wash CH, Xenia, Dayton, and Eaton to rejoin I-70 just east of Richmond, Ind. That could free up a lot of traffic at the 70-75 interchange. Extend I-26/I-73 respectively (since these are seperate freeways) to meet in Portsmouth where 73N to C-bus, 74W to Cincy, and 26 ends just inside of Ohio. 

[CMHroads]

^Sounds great to me!

[Hot Rod Hootenanny]

As far as I-73 in Ohio;  try this webpage: http://www.roadfan.com/i73orig.html
Ohio had designated the OH 161-Oh 16-US 36-US 250-US 22 Corridor between Columbus and Pittsburgh for upgrade during the Taft admin.  But mind you it's always been on ODH/ODOT's radar screen for 40-50 years now.
(See maps of Ohio on http://www.roadfan.com/ohiomaps.html)

[mightyace]

Extended I-76: Following US 224 /24 west to Peoria, IL.

Wouldn't it make more sense for I-76 to cross Ohio using US 30 from Mansfield on west (after duplexing with I-71) as US 30 is interstate grade freeway or easily upgradable expressway most of the way.

And, even if not, US 30, should merit some I-designation in your plans. IMHO

[Hellfighter]

Even if I-73 is never built, US-23 should still become a freeway the whole length.

[CMHroads]

^I agree completely.  No freeway connection to Toldeo/Detroit is pretty frustrating.