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

[Ted$8roadFan]

For better or worse, Delaware County is becoming Ohio's Loudoun/Fairfax County anyway, so some version of this project will happen.

[I-55]

For better or worse, Delaware County is becoming Ohio's Loudoun/Fairfax County anyway, so some version of this project will happen.

If there's a perfect comp, it's Hamilton County, IN. Both are suburban counties north of a 900,000 person city in neighboring states. Both are seeing most of their development in cities along a multilane US highway (US 31 and US 23). Toledo-Columbus is a similar regional traffic pattern as South Bend/Kokomo-Indianapolis.

The difference is that Delaware County now is where Hamilton County was 10-15 years ago. US 31 and Keystone Parkway (old SR 431) have since been converted to freeways and the same is happening to SR 37.

Indiana did have several advantages over Ohio for freeway conversion. All 3 routes in Indiana (31, 431/Keystone, 37) all had full medians and more robust access control (wider R/W and no drive approaches). As such, US 31 was able to be widened to a 6-lane interstate grade freeway with a 36' grass median, and Keystone and SR 37 maintained their typical section. US 23 has no median for most of the route between I-270 and Waldo. Any conversion would have to alter that typical section significantly. US 23 also has narrower R/W and a significantly higher intersection density (including private drives and a cemetery entrance), making it more difficult to maintain local access and convert intersections to interchanges.

The option Ohio has that Indiana didn't is being able to bypass the existing route. I-71 parallels US 23 much closer than I-65 or I-69 ever get to US 31, which opens the possibility of creating a connector route to alleviate the regional traffic from the suburbs. The question after becomes whether US 23 is capable of handling the local traffic. Only time will tell for that one, though I imagine it won't take long to find out. INDOT is already rebuilding the US 31 interchange with I-465 after just 10-12 years of operation because the traffic forecasts are already being overrun (Hamilton County grew from 308,000 to 387,000 people from 2015-2025. At the time of engineering beginning in 2010 there were 276,000 residents).

[carbaugh2]

ODOT has released the preferred alternative ahead of the next round of public meetings. It also has a brief video describing the process to come up with it. The maps and video are all available at https://publicinput.com/23-71study. The detail from the video not on the map is that the estimated cost is between $650-740 million.

I don't have an opinion of the route; I'm just thankful that ODOT is documenting each step of the process in a timely manner. Even with the public comments, I still see the General Assembly including the connector- if not the entire corridor- as a separate line item in the transportation budget bill next spring. There are too many legislators from the US 23 corridor for this to not be included.

EDIT: I'm also including this Axios profile piece on South Bloomfield as I am also anticipating what the study due to be released in December has in mind for the section from I-270 on the south side of Columbus to Chillicothe.

[Great Lakes Roads]

https://www.wtol.com/article/news/community/transportation/odot-recommends-new-us-23-i-71-connector-between-northwest-ohio-and-columbus-road-highway/512-cccc8d56-2192-4262-9832-6c55ebc060ef

ODOT recommends new US 23-I-71 connector between northwest Ohio and Columbus

ODOT projects the highway could carry about 21,900 vehicles a day by 2055 if it is not tolled. The agency also estimates the project could reduce travel between I-475 and I-270 by six minutes in free-flow conditions and up to 22 minutes during the morning peak.

ODOT estimates the connector itself would cost about $890 million in 2035. Depending on improvements that could be needed on I-71, the total cost could range from about $857 million to $1.2 billion.

Under ODOT's model, tolling would reduce projected 2055 traffic from about 21,900 vehicles a day to about 8,500.

The study estimates toll revenue could provide enough money to cover long-term operations and maintenance, but only about 17.8% of the estimated project costs. It would not be enough to pay for construction, meaning the state would still need substantial additional funding.

(Oh, and ODOT recommends to NOT toll the new connector).

[carbaugh2]

Here's the link to the published report.

https://publicinput.com/Customer/File/Full/b8fb53e3-fc39-44c7-bcaa-8c7bad147f09

Here's a quote from page 14 (page 17 of the PDF) of the report regarding the cost-benefit analysis for the connector:

"For purposes of the benefit-cost analysis, project costs were evaluated in 2026 dollars
to provide a consistent basis for comparison with the present-value benefits. The
planning-level cost of the recommended preferred route is approximately $671 million
in 2026 dollars. When the estimated $200 million cost of the modeled I-71
improvements is also included, the combined planning-level cost is approximately $871
million. This results in an estimated benefit-cost ratio ranging from approximately 5.0:1
to 6.4:1, depending on whether the additional lanes on I-71 would need to be
constructed as part of the project or have already been constructed through other
projects. The resulting benefit-cost ratio indicates that the estimated present value of
transportation-user benefits exceed the estimated project costs used in the analysis
by approximately five to six times."

I hope the General Assembly refocuses itself on building this instead of a gas tax holiday gimmick.

[MBHockey13]

https://youtu.be/X-iVobS5ddw?is=6zOA-XFzLNHUAkIy

[JREwing78]

https://youtu.be/X-iVobS5ddw?is=6zOA-XFzLNHUAkIy

80 out of 3500 comments received supported this "preliminary" project plan. Ouch.

The stated impacts, even factoring in local TV news' tendency to magnify trivial things, are actually quite trivial. An 18 mile freeway corridor that only takes out 8 homes is some kind of minor miracle.

I'm not sure where else you could put this highway that wouldn't send people out of their way or render the existing OH-15/US-23 north of Delaware largely worthless. Following US-42 westward from Delaware would require less new roadway but go through considerable park space and feed into the west side instead of a more direct path SE to tie into US-33/I-77 near Ravenswood, WV. 

The optimal routing, using the existing US-23 corridor, should have been rebuilt aggressively 40 years ago before the suburban sprawl made it infeasible. 

[TempoNick]

I hope the General Assembly refocuses itself on building this instead of a gas tax holiday gimmick.

You can't refocus on the things you consider important if you don't get reelected.

80 out of 3500 comments received supported this "preliminary" project plan. Ouch.

Won't matter. Last time this was proposed, I-73 and specifically the connector was a luxury. This time, it's a necessity. The primary complaining seems to come from Morrow County because it doesn't want Delaware County's problems dumped in their back yard. Most other people understand that this is necessary and that a bigger mess awaits if something isn't done about it soon.

[The Ghostbuster]

If this connector is eventually constructed, would any of you use it?

[TempoNick]

If this connector is eventually constructed, would any of you use it?

Yes.

[vtk]

If this connector is eventually constructed, would any of you use it?

Certainly. Unless I'm no longer living in Ohio.

[vtk]

I do wish the proposed connector would offer more local benefit, such as by connecting to OH 423 on the north end and to OH 521 on the south end, and maybe having one or two more interchanges in the middle.

[carbaugh2]

I don't believe ODOT held any public meetings north of Waldo, so the northwestern third of the state is a silent balance to all the negative public comments. I understand the concerns, though; it's a big price to pay, and preparations should have been made in the 80s-90s even if the money wasn't there to upgrade 23 at the time (it wasn't).

Would I use the connector? Yes, since it would take away a big reason that keeps me from traveling to NW Ohio or Michigan. It would impact many of my coworkers that live between Polaris and Delaware on a daily basis, though, as it would pull traffic off 23.

[GaryV]

80 out of 3500 comments received supported this "preliminary" project plan. Ouch.

Comments are often negative - positive opinions don't often get expressed because if you're in favor of it you consider it already being approved and you don't need to chime in. Also, those against any project are far more likely to be following events and making comments.

If this connector is eventually constructed, would any of you use it?

If it's not tolled.

[GCrites]

I probably wouldn't use it that much. The last time I went a way it would be useful was 2015. I go to SE and SW Ohio far more often.

[TempoNick]

Comments are often negative - positive opinions don't often get expressed because if you're in favor of it you consider it already being approved and you don't need to chime in. Also, those against any project are far more likely to be following events and making comments.

NIMBYS - A lot of people commenting, at least in the Dispatch, understood the need for it but many were trying to dump it on Hardin County (which also has its merits) but the road is more of a necessity in the northeastern part of the metro.

I personally like the idea of going from Indian Lake to around Bluffton, killing two birds with one stone. Good way into Columbus and it also cleans up the way to get to Fort Wayne from Columbus, but I suppose fixing US 23 will also give you a good way into Fort Wayne.

[vtk]

I don't believe ODOT held any public meetings north of Waldo, so the northwestern third of the state is a silent balance to all the negative public comments.

And I don't think they held any public meetings south of Lewis Center, so most of Columbus was left out of the conversation as well.

[TempoNick]

The beauty of this route is undeniable! Do we call it I-73, I-875 or I-477?

US-23 >I-71 >I-270 >US-33 >I-77

[The Ghostbuster]

The only logical designation to call this route is: BY ITS EXISTING DESIGNATIONS! There is a Fictional Highways to put fictional route designations in, like all the ones listed above. If this US 23-to-Interstate 71 connector is constructed, I imagine it would be an x23 state highway, like the OH 823 Portsmouth Bypass.

[Molandfreak]

The only logical designation to call this route is: BY ITS EXISTING DESIGNATIONS! There is a Fictional Highways to put fictional route designations in, like all the ones listed above. If this US 23-to-Interstate 71 connector is constructed, I imagine it would be an x23 state highway, like the OH 823 Portsmouth Bypass.

Come on, do you really have to either be a massive buzz killingtom for no reason or point out super obvious things?

[TempoNick]

The only logical designation to call this route is: BY ITS EXISTING DESIGNATIONS! There is a Fictional Highways to put fictional route designations in, like all the ones listed above. If this US 23-to-Interstate 71 connector is constructed, I imagine it would be an x23 state highway, like the OH 823 Portsmouth Bypass.

Come on, do you really have to either be a massive buzz killingtom for no reason or point out super obvious things?

It's not fictional at all. The highway is real. The debate is going to be what to call it.

[The Ghostbuster]

Ok. If the connector is a state highway, I'd number it OH 523, since 123-423 are already in use. If it is an Interstate, I'd number it Interstate 571, since again, 171-471 are already in use.

[TempoNick]

Ok. If the connector is a state highway, I'd number it OH 523, since 123-423 are already in use. If it is an Interstate, I'd number it Interstate 571, since again, 171-471 are already in use.

I'm talking about the whole thing. Don't you think an interstate style freeway connecting Findlay to I-77 deserves a single designation? Again, think of the traveler from out of the area.

I'm okay with calling it all Ohio 15, overlaid with their current numbers. But there's that 3 mi section in West Virginia and the traffic on I-77 you have to consider.

[NE2]

US 33 works for Columbus to I-77. Anything more is fictionslop.

[Hot Rod Hootenanny]

If this connector is eventually constructed, would any of you use it?

Probably not. I don't expect this to be completed in my lifetime.