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

[carbaugh2]

ODOT and the Ohio Turnpike Commission (OTIC) released the results of the planning study for the I-71/US 23 connector. The two agencies will now take the next year to develop and finalize the feasibility study for a preferred alternative, which is due on October 1, 2026, by statute. Here are the links.

News Article: Toledo TV station release, Columbus TV news perspective

Study Page on Public Input: https://publicinput.com/23-71study

Published Study: https://publicinput.com/Customer/File/Full/9662e432-16f6-481d-8e11-45a3cffcb88d

Some general highlights:
The corridor being advanced runs from just north of Waldo, around either side of Ashley, to north of Sunbury near where SR 521 crosses I-71. It is a combination of 3 of the corridors studied.
The median cost, including upgrades to I-71 between the connector and I-270 near Polaris, is between $1-1.25 billion.
The corridors that included upgrading existing roads (US 36, SR 95, SR 229) were all much more expensive to construct and are not being brought forward.
The agencies concluded that the Turnpike Commission already has the statutory authority to implement tolls if desired; however, if tolls are used, then ODOT cannot use the "quick take" process of purchasing the needed right of way to construct the project.

[GCrites]

Well the South Bloomfield rest area finally got road signs but now it's closed for two weeks. What would make a new rest area that has been open less than 6 months close for that long?

[Hot Rod Hootenanny]

ODOT and the Ohio Turnpike Commission (OTIC) released the results of the planning study for the I-71/US 23 connector. The two agencies will now take the next year to develop and finalize the feasibility study for a preferred alternative, which is due on October 1, 2026, by statute. Here are the links.

News Article: Toledo TV station release, Columbus TV news perspective

Study Page on Public Input: https://publicinput.com/23-71study

Published Study: https://publicinput.com/Customer/File/Full/9662e432-16f6-481d-8e11-45a3cffcb88d

Some general highlights:
The corridor being advanced runs from just north of Waldo, around either side of Ashley, to north of Sunbury near where SR 521 crosses I-71. It is a combination of 3 of the corridors studied.
The median cost, including upgrades to I-71 between the connector and I-270 near Polaris, is between $1-1.25 billion.
The corridors that included upgrading existing roads (US 36, SR 95, SR 229) were all much more expensive to construct and are not being brought forward.
The agencies concluded that the Turnpike Commission already has the statutory authority to implement tolls if desired; however, if tolls are used, then ODOT cannot use the "quick take" process of purchasing the needed right of way to construct the project.

The more things change....




The more they stay the same

[GCrites]

270 looks like it's been turned 90 degrees in that picture.

[pianocello]

270 looks like it's been turned 90 degrees in that picture.

Everything has. North is to the left in that picture.

[GCrites]

Oh duh

[vtk]

The corridor being advanced is basically last year's "Concept E1" and is quite similar to the alignment I proposed over on the Fictional board for an I-171 almost two decades ago

[webny99]

Great to see progress on this. I'm hoping the routing chosen runs south/west of Ashley to minimize backtracking. I was surprised to see that I-71 widening will be considered as part of this - this stretch was 6-laned not that long ago so I wouldn't have thought further widening would be needed north of Polaris, even with the added traffic.

However, I also found out while digging through the materials that a Big Walnut interchange is proposed, though still years away: https://engineer.co.delaware.oh.us/projects/bigwalnutinterchange/ That's a positive development for a very long stretch with no exits in an area that's now heavily suburbanized. It is crazy to think that Delaware County now has a population of over 200k and climbing and yet still only has ~two interchanges with I-71, though that could become five in the next decade or two which would certainly contribute to the case for further widening.

[carbaugh2]

Great to see progress on this. I'm hoping the routing chosen runs south/west of Ashley to minimize backtracking. I was surprised to see that I-71 widening will be considered as part of this - this stretch was 6-laned not that long ago so I wouldn't have thought further widening would be needed north of Polaris, even with the added traffic.

Traffic counts on I-71 between the proposed Big Walnut interchange and US 36/SR 37 approach 100,000 cars a day with almost 25% truck traffic. Anecdotally, my experiences driving to Tanger Outlets- even on fall Saturdays during Buckeye games - are normally stress filled due to heavy traffic that does not filter out until after 36/37. It could use a fourth lane before adding in the Toledo traffic.

[webny99]

Great to see progress on this. I'm hoping the routing chosen runs south/west of Ashley to minimize backtracking. I was surprised to see that I-71 widening will be considered as part of this - this stretch was 6-laned not that long ago so I wouldn't have thought further widening would be needed north of Polaris, even with the added traffic.

Traffic counts on I-71 between the proposed Big Walnut interchange and US 36/SR 37 approach 100,000 cars a day with almost 25% truck traffic. Anecdotally, my experiences driving to Tanger Outlets- even on fall Saturdays during Buckeye games - are normally stress filled due to heavy traffic that does not filter out until after 36/37. It could use a fourth lane before adding in the Toledo traffic.

Wow. That along with a ~30k dropoff north of US 36 suggests that a significant percentage of Delaware/Toledo traffic is already using that stretch of I-71... and that suburban growth/congestion in southern Delaware Co has reached a point where traffic to Galena and neighborhoods along Alum Creek Lake are using Exit 131 to avoid Polaris.

[PColumbus73]

However, I also found out while digging through the materials that a Big Walnut interchange is proposed, though still years away: https://engineer.co.delaware.oh.us/projects/bigwalnutinterchange/ That's a positive development for a very long stretch with no exits in an area that's now heavily suburbanized. It is crazy to think that Delaware County now has a population of over 200k and climbing and yet still only has ~two interchanges with I-71, though that could become five in the next decade or two which would certainly contribute to the case for further widening.

Just looking at the aerial, I think Bale Kenyon / E Orange Rd would be a better spot for an interchange.

[vtk]

I called it on widening I-71, too

[wriddle082]

Left the Toledo area early this morning (a little after 6) and drove all the way home to SC.  Used Waze for the best route, as I figured it would take me the best way through Columbus.  That way just happened to be US 23 south through Delaware to OH 315 south to I-71 south to I-270 east to US 23 south to US 35 south into WV, and then 64 to 77 the rest of the way.

What surprised me the most was how well the two lane portion of OH 315 flowed, though I'm thinking the traffic lights could have been timed for smooth inbound traffic flow.

I also wondered if perhaps there were traffic issues today along US 33 or I-77 north of Charleston (lots of construction on that part of 77), as that's the route I usually take, but I guess since it took me down 315 it figured it should just angle me along 23 to 35 instead of sending me further east on 270 to 33.

And one more pleasant surprise: though the final coat of asphalt has not yet been laid down, it appears that South Bloomfield is "remedied".  They now have the center turn lane striped and open.  I was fully expecting to get stuck behind someone trying to turn left, but it did not happen!

Anyway, whenever they do eventually build this new freeway from Waldo to I-71, is there a chance they would go ahead and sign it I-73?  Or would OH not willing to break their rule of repeating numbers the way that NC has decided to do ever since Interstates 73, 74, and 42 came to be.

[The Ghostbuster]

There will be no Interstate 73 in Ohio or any other state north of North Carolina for a long time if ever (even 73 making it into South Carolina is iffy). If any Interstate designation was added, it would likely be a 3di of Interstate 71.

[vtk]

Anyway, whenever they do eventually build this new freeway from Waldo to I-71, is there a chance they would go ahead and sign it I-73?  Or would OH not willing to break their rule of repeating numbers the way that NC has decided to do ever since Interstates 73, 74, and 42 came to be.

In the past, such conflicts were resolved by renumbering the state route. But the conflict over 73 likely won't even arise, unless it becomes Interstate from I-71 all the way to I-75.

[Hot Rod Hootenanny]

Anyway, whenever they do eventually build this new freeway from Waldo to I-71, is there a chance they would go ahead and sign it I-73?  Or would OH not willing to break their rule of repeating numbers the way that NC has decided to do ever since Interstates 73, 74, and 42 came to be.

There are plenty of interstate quality roads in Ohio that have not received 2di or 3di status over the decades.
Whenever the US 23-I-71 connector gets built (which at this point might not be my lifetime [funny saying that after all these years on MTR & AAroads]), it could be Oh X71, or I-x71, or maybe US 23 gets rerouted over the new road and Oh 423 gets extended south from Waldo to Downtown Columbus (or Pickaway Co).

[Molandfreak]

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