State Lays Out Vision for U.S. 23 Corridor Through Central Ohio

[Bitmapped]

Maybe the best option would be to either extend SR-15 down or SR-823 up from their respective endpoints.

I'm thinking an extension of any of the state routes that currently end in Waldo (OH 47, OH 98, or OH 423) on this new route, if it's not going to be a 3di.

Makes sense. That's what ODOT did with the Opportunity Corridor in Cleveland - they grabbed one of the state routes that ended in downtown Cleveland (OH 10) and extended it east to serve the corridor.

[Molandfreak]

Maybe the best option would be to either extend SR-15 down or SR-823 up from their respective endpoints.

I'm thinking an extension of any of the state routes that currently end in Waldo (OH 47, OH 98, or OH 423) on this new route, if it's not going to be a 3di.

Makes sense. That's what ODOT did with the Opportunity Corridor in Cleveland - they grabbed one of the state routes that ended in downtown Cleveland (OH 10) and extended it east to serve the corridor.

It would also be very underwhelming and unhelpful to extend one of the random surface routes rather than one that actually has some logic behind it.

[Bitmapped]

Maybe the best option would be to either extend SR-15 down or SR-823 up from their respective endpoints.

I'm thinking an extension of any of the state routes that currently end in Waldo (OH 47, OH 98, or OH 423) on this new route, if it's not going to be a 3di.

Makes sense. That's what ODOT did with the Opportunity Corridor in Cleveland - they grabbed one of the state routes that ended in downtown Cleveland (OH 10) and extended it east to serve the corridor.

It would also be very underwhelming and unhelpful to extend one of the random surface routes rather than one that actually has some logic behind it.

SR 423 makes plenty of sense since the road goes to US 23, just like there is SR 823 around Portsmouth.

[Hot Rod Hootenanny]

Is it at the "Marengo Library"?

Marengo doesn't have a library.
It'll be at the Heartland Retreat Center, aka Southeastern University's Ohio Regional Campus (according to Google Maps)
Nearest library to me would be in Ashley, 7 miles to the NW.

[Molandfreak]

Maybe the best option would be to either extend SR-15 down or SR-823 up from their respective endpoints.

I'm thinking an extension of any of the state routes that currently end in Waldo (OH 47, OH 98, or OH 423) on this new route, if it's not going to be a 3di.

Makes sense. That's what ODOT did with the Opportunity Corridor in Cleveland - they grabbed one of the state routes that ended in downtown Cleveland (OH 10) and extended it east to serve the corridor.

It would also be very underwhelming and unhelpful to extend one of the random surface routes rather than one that actually has some logic behind it.

SR 423 makes plenty of sense since the road goes to US 23, just like there is SR 823 around Portsmouth.

But it's just a placeholder designation for an old surface alignment. Having the surface alignment and expressway alignment completely swap designations is even more confusing than having US 23 exit the expressway alignment to serve Carey and Fostoria.

[vtk]

The Interim Report currently available indicates rather favorable benefit/cost ratios for some of the concepts studied, up to 5:1. After the conclusion ODOT came to a couple of years ago, I'm rather surprised and perplexed. Did the analysis then use different methodology, resulting in a much less clear benefit/cost advantage, or did they just cave to the "not in my farm field" crowd and misrepresent the c/b analysis to justify not advancing any of the concepts studied?

[PColumbus73]

I agree an extension of OH 423 would make the most sense. Ohio seems to not like odd 3dis.

[thenetwork]

I agree an extension of OH 423 would make the most sense. Ohio seems to not like odd 3dis.

Is there still an option where the new highway is built amd tolled by the Ohio Turnpike Commission?

[vtk]

The interim report says, if one of the southern alternatives are built, toll revenue would cover operating and maintenance costs, but would be insufficient to repay bonds used for more than a small fraction of the initial construction costs.

[GCrites]

Is it at the "Marengo Library"?

Marengo doesn't have a library.
It'll be at the Heartland Retreat Center, aka Southeastern University's Ohio Regional Campus (according to Google Maps)
Nearest library to me would be in Ashley, 7 miles to the NW.

I guess you haven't heard the joke. My friends from Ashley used to call the old Marengo Lion's Den the "Marengo Library"

[NE2]

I agree an extension of OH 423 would make the most sense. Ohio seems to not like odd 3dis.

Is there still an option where the new highway is built amd tolled by the Phở Turnpike Commission?

Only in Vietnam.

[vdeane]

The Interim Report currently available indicates rather favorable benefit/cost ratios for some of the concepts studied, up to 5:1. After the conclusion ODOT came to a couple of years ago, I'm rather surprised and perplexed. Did the analysis then use different methodology, resulting in a much less clear benefit/cost advantage, or did they just cave to the "not in my farm field" crowd and misrepresent the c/b analysis to justify not advancing any of the concepts studied?

I mean, from what we've seen with the California high speed rail project, the "not in my farm field" crowd can make projects quite expensive.

[Molandfreak]

I agree an extension of OH 423 would make the most sense. Ohio seems to not like odd 3dis.

It makes the most sense to continue fragmenting a corridor, only this time it's with a designation that was created specifically as a placeholder for a parallel surface alignment?

[PColumbus73]

I don't understand the question. An OH 423 extension to I-71 doesn't fragment the route.

[zzcarp]

I don't understand the question. An OH 423 extension to I-71 doesn't fragment the route.

I suspect they are referring to the whole corridor from I-75 is fragmented-OH 15, US 23, and now possibly as OH 423 (which would be a reasonable designation) for the new freeway to I-71. Unless ODOT decided they wanted to multiplex US 23 with I-71 towards downtown, though its current corridor south of Waldo, along with OH 315, will still be heavily traveled for commuting and locals and still worthy of the designation.

I suppose they could do like they did with the OH 32 Appalachian Highway and just slap a cool corridor sign along OH 15, multiplex it with US 23 from Carey to Waldo for 44 miles or so, then have it independently signed on the new alignment to I-71. It's at least in the same general south to east direction as the rest of the OH 15 corridor. Call it the Black Swamp highway or something.

I'd prefer an I-73 designation but that is even farther into the ream of fictional since the expressway portions of the route function well with the at-grades and there's little cost-benefit to raise it to true Interstate standards.

[tigerwings]

OH 15 is signed east-west.

[Molandfreak]

If you look at a map, SR 423 has a clear purpose. It's an at-grade alternative to US 23. Extending it along a freeway makes no sense because the rest of the road is clearly not something a traveller would want to follow under normal circumstances.

At least extending SR 47 would make sense for traffic continuing due west of Waldo. I don't like that idea, but it would have similar logic to the equally dumb decision to keep US 23 on random surface roads near Fostoria. Extending SR 423 would not make any logical sense beyond "oh hey, look at this highway in the area! Let's extend it!"

[zzcarp]

OH 15 is signed east-west.

Part of it is yes. It does have a significant north-south stretch (and is signed as such) from the Michigan state line to the split with US 127 south of Bryan. And it still travels more south than east all the way to Ottawa (map of OH 15's route). Extending it along US 23 then southeast from there on the new alignment wouldn't be that off base for the direction of the alignment.

If you look at a map, SR 423 has a clear purpose. It's an at-grade alternative to US 23. Extending it along a freeway makes no sense because the rest of the road is clearly not something a traveller would want to follow under normal circumstances.

At least extending SR 47 would make sense for traffic continuing due west of Waldo. I don't like that idea, but it would have similar logic to the equally dumb decision to keep US 23 on random surface roads near Fostoria. Extending SR 423 would not make any logical sense beyond "oh hey, look at this highway in the area! Let's extend it!"

It's hardly a "dumb decision." US 23 historically went from Carey to Fostoria to Maumee, and Ohio doesn't usually change the US Highway corridors, even with bypasses, more than a few miles.

As for OH 47, it's not the worst choice either, though no one would follow that corridor from Bellefontaine to Columbus through Waldo due to the US 33 freeway being a better choice. And the strange jog up into Waldo to the interchange with US 23 means it still would be a wonky connection. I get OH 423 was created for a different purpose of an old alignment of US 23 through Marion, but a new extension of it to cover the new alignment for the connector would go in the right direction.

We haven't mentioned OH 98 much yet, but it could be another option, especially when all three routes end in Waldo. It will be interesting to see what ODOT chooses.

[tigerwings]

"Part of it is yes. It does have a significant north-south stretch (and is signed as such) from the Michigan state line to the split with US 127 south of Bryan. And it still travels more south than east all the way to Ottawa (map of OH 15's route). Extending it along US 23 then southeast from there on the new alignment wouldn't be that off base for the direction of the alignment."

OH 15 is signed with a mix of east-west and north-south in Williams County. Signed east-west at US 20. At the turnpike 1st sign going south is signed east, going north is signed north. Varies from sign to sign.


If the new section is toll, suspect it will be a 3DI.

[vtk]

I'm in favor of having a single designation on the expressway from I-71 near Sunbury to I-75 at Findlay, whatever the designation is.

[PColumbus73]

OH 15 is signed east-west.

Part of it is yes. It does have a significant north-south stretch (and is signed as such) from the Michigan state line to the split with US 127 south of Bryan. And it still travels more south than east all the way to Ottawa (map of OH 15's route). Extending it along US 23 then southeast from there on the new alignment wouldn't be that off base for the direction of the alignment.

If you look at a map, SR 423 has a clear purpose. It's an at-grade alternative to US 23. Extending it along a freeway makes no sense because the rest of the road is clearly not something a traveller would want to follow under normal circumstances.

At least extending SR 47 would make sense for traffic continuing due west of Waldo. I don't like that idea, but it would have similar logic to the equally dumb decision to keep US 23 on random surface roads near Fostoria. Extending SR 423 would not make any logical sense beyond "oh hey, look at this highway in the area! Let's extend it!"

It's hardly a "dumb decision." US 23 historically went from Carey to Fostoria to Maumee, and Ohio doesn't usually change the US Highway corridors, even with bypasses, more than a few miles.

As for OH 47, it's not the worst choice either, though no one would follow that corridor from Bellefontaine to Columbus through Waldo due to the US 33 freeway being a better choice. And the strange jog up into Waldo to the interchange with US 23 means it still would be a wonky connection. I get OH 423 was created for a different purpose of an old alignment of US 23 through Marion, but a new extension of it to cover the new alignment for the connector would go in the right direction.

We haven't mentioned OH 98 much yet, but it could be another option, especially when all three routes end in Waldo. It will be interesting to see what ODOT chooses.

The precedent for a two-lane state route to be signed along a freeway has already been set by OH 104, 126, and others.  An interchange with US 23 would prioritize US 23 to I-71 as the thru movement, so OH 423 might have to exit off Waldo-Fulton Road before the freeway terminated at US 23. To that end, I could see another number being preferred, maybe OH 15 or OH 871.

[Hot Rod Hootenanny]

I guess we have a new map from ODOT for proposed routings for whatever Ohio wants to call "pretend I-73" between US 23 & I-71. Supposedly the darken lines have been removed from further study while the yellow lines are to go forward.
https://publicinput.com/Customer/File/Full/82444665-f2db-4377-99f9-2ec65aebabd2

Irony is that line N2-1-3 would take my house after all these years of me researching & studying I-73.
Not sure how far out Ohio will need to build this, but it would affect any effort to sell our property in the next decade.

[carbaugh2]

I guess Sen. Brenner ended up being correct that the best options were in Morrow County. That does make it a lot easier to avoid Delaware County NIMBYs.  I know everyone is looking at what to number the road, but I am still convinced that the General Assembly is shooting for nothing less than Interstate 73.

I will edit this post with thoughts once I have read the full study, but here's the link to it: https://publicinput.com/Customer/File/Full/ae034e1f-7247-4cfb-a51b-4ac51333b7e7

And since it is on a previous page, here is the link to the Public Input page so you can fully catch up: https://publicinput.com/23-71study

[The Ghostbuster]

Which alignment do you all believe would work the best? Not knowing the area, I don't have a preference.

[Hot Rod Hootenanny]

Which alignment do you all believe would work the best? Not knowing the area, I don't have a preference.

One that would not take out my house.