Ohio

[TempoNick]

I think it would between OH-3 and Sawmill Rd. but the usage rate would probably be low considering the existing left lane sees little use. Everyone wants on or off at one of the exits.

Don't forget the express lanes on I-270 on the east side of town. They seem to work pretty well. You could have two express lanes with points where you can enter and exit, and three or four lanes exiting.

[sprjus4]

Obviously now we're just getting into technical terms and it's not that important, but I wouldn't necessarily call the I-270 lanes "express" lanes, it seems more of a traditional C/D setup for two interchanges close by.

Something traveling the length of OH-3 to Sawmill would bypass several local exits, much closer in design to Cleveland's I-271 beltway, is something I'd consider more of an "express" lane setup.

[TempoNick]

Obviously now we're just getting into technical terms and it's not that important, but I wouldn't necessarily call the I-270 lanes "express" lanes, it seems more of a traditional C/D setup for two interchanges close by.

Something traveling the length of OH-3 to Sawmill would bypass several local exits, much closer in design to Cleveland's I-271 beltway, is something I'd consider more of an "express" lane setup.

Fair point, but whatever you want to call them, they push traffic around a major interchange and bottleneck to keep you going on your way. Would pushing people around I-71, US 23 and Ohio 315 be of any value? I don't know, but one big problem is that they are all kind of close together.

When I was a kid, I was amused at all the lanes they had on the east side because they were very sparsely used. Looks like they knew what they were doing. That took a lot of foresight, something we don't see a lot of these days.

[thenetwork]

Obviously now we're just getting into technical terms and it's not that important, but I wouldn't necessarily call the I-270 lanes "express" lanes, it seems more of a traditional C/D setup for two interchanges close by.

Something traveling the length of OH-3 to Sawmill would bypass several local exits, much closer in design to Cleveland's I-271 beltway, is something I'd consider more of an "express" lane setup.

It could also be a shorter Express Lanes setup like the stretch of I-480 from just west of I-77 to just east of the Valley View Bridge.  It's similar to the stretch of I-270 from SR-315 to I-71 where most of the traffic along that stretch enters or leaves the freeway in that short stretch.

[lepidopteran]

I-71, US 33 and Ohio 315 ... they are all kind of close together.

And if US 23 is ever upgraded between Waldo and I-270, and the ramps were modified to eliminate the traffic signals to/from the north, you'd have yet another freeway-to-freeway interchange in the mix.

[vtk]

An outer-outer belt isn't going to help conditions on I-270 at all. However, it would be smart to maintain expressway upgradeability on the routes connecting the county seats surrounding Columbus. If I were driving from Johnstown to Hebron in 2050, I wouldn't want to be stuck on suburban stroads the whole way. Maybe one day a network of expressways will form a ring around Columbus, but it will be for the benefit of the outlying cities, not the urban core, and personally I would prefer it be conceived of as a system or network of inter-county links, not as a single road that just goes in a huge circle.

If we really want a relief route to take traffic off of the busiest parts of 270, it'll pretty much have to be a shortcut of some kind, not a big arcing bypass. Maybe a 4-lane freeway from I-70 just east of Springfield (or US 68 just north of Springfield), south of Marysville and north of Delaware, to I-71 south of Mt Gilead; and another from US 33 at Carroll, past Pataskala and Johnstown, to I-71 at Marengo. These two hypothetical new roads should not be considered as one route.

[thenetwork]

The US 23 corridor should be upgraded to a freeway between Delaware and Columbus, though the latest proposal does not include this. Between Circleville and Columbus, only incremental improvements are planned. However, a full interstate corridor—Interstate 73—may be back on the table.

 Study to examine proposed Interstate 73 in Ohio
On February 25, 2025, the Ohio Legislature introduced House Bill 54, a measure designed to improve the state's transportation infrastructure and services. The bill allocates up to $2 million in Fiscal Year 2026 for a feasibility study on developing an Interstate Route 73 corridor to Toledo. The study will evaluate the potential for a new transportation route and its impact on regional development and economic growth.

This bill (https://legislature.ohio.gov/legislation/136/hb54) unanimously passed the House and is now waiting for consideration by the Ohio Senate. While it includes the feasibility study for I-73, it also includes a provision that requires ODOT and the Turnpike Commission to provide preliminary engineering for a preferred alternative for a connector between I-71 and US 23 within 3 months of Gov. DeWine signing the bill. There are too many representatives in leadership positions (House Speaker, Senste President, House Finance Chair, etc.) for the provisions to get line item vetos.

Any word on the progression of this bill???

[GCrites]

I think it would between OH-3 and Sawmill Rd. but the usage rate would probably be low considering the existing left lane sees little use. Everyone wants on or off at one of the exits.

Don't forget the express lanes on I-270 on the east side of town. They seem to work pretty well. You could have two express lanes with points where you can enter and exit, and three or four lanes exiting.

The merges where the C/D roads end in both directions are terrible though with today's volume. You'd want to handle that differently in a place where volume is even higher.

[Bitmapped]

The US 23 corridor should be upgraded to a freeway between Delaware and Columbus, though the latest proposal does not include this. Between Circleville and Columbus, only incremental improvements are planned. However, a full interstate corridor—Interstate 73—may be back on the table.

 Study to examine proposed Interstate 73 in Ohio
On February 25, 2025, the Ohio Legislature introduced House Bill 54, a measure designed to improve the state's transportation infrastructure and services. The bill allocates up to $2 million in Fiscal Year 2026 for a feasibility study on developing an Interstate Route 73 corridor to Toledo. The study will evaluate the potential for a new transportation route and its impact on regional development and economic growth.

This bill (https://legislature.ohio.gov/legislation/136/hb54) unanimously passed the House and is now waiting for consideration by the Ohio Senate. While it includes the feasibility study for I-73, it also includes a provision that requires ODOT and the Turnpike Commission to provide preliminary engineering for a preferred alternative for a connector between I-71 and US 23 within 3 months of Gov. DeWine signing the bill. There are too many representatives in leadership positions (House Speaker, Senste President, House Finance Chair, etc.) for the provisions to get line item vetos.

Any word on the progression of this bill???

As shown on page that was linked in the post you replied to, it was signed into law.

Section 203.25 includes $1.5M for a feasibility study for I-73 from Toledo to Chesapeake. The study is to be done by December 31, 2026.

It also appropriates $500,000 split between ODOT and OTIC for a "joint plan" regarding options connecting to US 23 to I-71. This is supposed to be done within 3 months of the bill's effective date, so by October 1.

Given the amounts and timelines here, I wouldn't read much into the inclusion of these items. Some legislator wanted it and so it gone thrown in. These aren't serious dollar amounts, or in the case of US 23 to I-71, timelines, for anything to do any actual work.

[ysuindy]

The hillside stabilization project on Ohio 7 near Mingo Junction is nearing completion

https://www.wtrf.com/top-stories/major-road-project-expected-to-be-completed-soon-in-ohio/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook_WTRF_7News&fbclid=IwQ0xDSwLaRKNleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHjWvfKd1pT6YSx318JanzAcSJgc6Dc8dbAGDDH3p0D2TzjiIr_ZqqBAfBF0X_aem_HuoaKRkkHbJ8LNtFnfXCNw

[TempoNick]

I took Ohio 161/37/16 from Columbus to Canton today. Observations:

1. They had Alt I-70 signs along the route. I noticed them from Newark all the way to I-77. Don't you end up too far north on I-77 for that to be a legitimate alternate route for I-70?

2. I saw more than a few Pennsylvania plates along that stretch, so people are using it to get between Columbus and Pennsylvania.

3. ODOT complains that they can't rename Ohio 161/37/16 and US 23/OH 15 because of all the money it would cost. Like ODOT ever cares about spending money? Don't all those Alt I-70 signs prove that this is a bunch of BS?

4. Exactly 7 miles from I-77 a big green sign appears listing various destinations and mileages. I-77 is listed as "IR 77" without using a shield. I've seen that elsewhere in the state. I mean, we know what it means, but does the average person know IR it's supposed to mean interstate? Why don't they call it I-77 like everybody else?

5. From my starting point in East Columbus, all three roads to South Canton had roughly the same mileage and the same ETA's and that really surprised me. (Faircrest Rd. was my exit.)

6. I decided to take US 30 to I-71 home just to see some different scenery. Big mistake. Basically slow traffic all the way from US 36 until I got home. This was during the 3:00 pm hour. I realize that there was rain, but has traffic around Polaris and at the I-670 merges gotten this unpredictable? I'm taking 16 or 70 next time I go there.

7. Finally, I noticed that the shields along US 30 West of Canton were of the oversized variety. I really like these shields and I wish ODOT would use them more often. They look good and serve a useful purpose. Other states in the Midwest aren't shy about using oversized shields.

[thenetwork]

^^ Today I drove from Delaware, OH to Toledo via 23/15/75.  My observations:

1) For those who dread traveling US-23 from I-270 to Delaware, Sawmill Parkway from US-42 in Delaware to I-270 is your best friend!!!  The only REAL traffic you encounter is between SR-750 and I-270.

2) Not only is US-23 from Delaware to the Marion County line is a PITA to drive on heavy traffic days, but the pavement needs a good rehab!

3) Like most non-interstate freeways, the exits along US-23 are slowly and sporadically numbered.  By the time you hit Wyandot County, any mileage-based exit numbering is non-existant.

4) In the places where Clearview was used on the BGSs, ODOT did a pretty good job.

5) If US-23 was ever to be co-signed as I-73 from Delaware to Carey, Marion County is close to being interstate standards, as is Hancock County along SR-15 (but not along the US-68 duplex).  Wyandot County would have a LOT of work needed to get up to interstate standards.

6) I'm glad I-75 is 3 lanes between Findlay and Toledo as there was so much
traffic.

7) Kudos to ODOT &/or Lucas County for the consistent posting of reassurance route shields on the traffic light posts at major intersections and trailblazers for the major Interstates, when warranted.

8) Is it my imagination, or is the city of Toledo getting away from citywide synchronized traffic signals and going to vehicle detection camera intersections?   I swear, when I used to live here decades ago and up to 10 years ago, you could go blocks, if not miles down a single road before you would hit a red light.
 

[Rothman]

Today I drove across Ohio on I-90, the Turnpike, I-75, I-475 and US 24.  My observation is that Ohio sucks and deserves the "It's giving Ohio" saying adopted by the younger generation.

[vtk]

The Turnpike is probably the most boring way to cross Ohio

[74/171FAN]

The Turnpike is probably the most boring way to cross Ohio

I would say the same thing about I-90 if visiting Erie, PA.  If you just clinch I-90 there, of course you would think it is awful, but I think the surface routes in that area are much more interesting and fun to drive than other areas of PA.  Ohio is much more interesting when driving through the towns on surface routes and navigating around public squares.

[Rothman]

The Turnpike is probably the most boring way to cross Ohio

I should also add that I've been to every county in Ohio and visited it many times...just felt even worse this time around.

[TempoNick]

The Turnpike is probably the most boring way to cross Ohio

I would say the same thing about I-90 if visiting Erie, PA.  If you just clinch I-90 there, of course you would think it is awful, but I think the surface routes in that area are much more interesting and fun to drive than other areas of PA.  Ohio is much more interesting when driving through the towns on surface routes and navigating around public squares.

Ohio is much prettier than people give it credit for.

[GCrites]

The Turnpike was strategically placed to avoid population centers in an effort to whisk vehicles across the state as quickly as possible. That's why it seems so desolate. I don't even feel like I'm in Ohio when I am on it. The only other major road that makes me feel like that is the Portsmouth Bypass which makes me think I'm in Kentucky.

[TempoNick]

The Turnpike was strategically placed to avoid population centers in an effort to whisk vehicles across the state as quickly as possible. That's why it seems so desolate. I don't even feel like I'm in Ohio when I am on it. The only other major road that makes me feel like that is the Portsmouth Bypass which makes me think I'm in Kentucky.

All major arteries through Ohio should have been designed that way. Exit I-70/71/75/76/77 to a local freeway system.

[MBHockey13]

^^ Today I drove from Delaware, OH to Toledo via 23/15/75.  My observations:

1) For those who dread traveling US-23 from I-270 to Delaware, Sawmill Parkway from US-42 in Delaware to I-270 is your best friend!!!  The only REAL traffic you encounter is between SR-750 and I-270.

2) Not only is US-23 from Delaware to the Marion County line is a PITA to drive on heavy traffic days, but the pavement needs a good rehab!

3) Like most non-interstate freeways, the exits along US-23 are slowly and sporadically numbered.  By the time you hit Wyandot County, any mileage-based exit numbering is non-existant.

4) In the places where Clearview was used on the BGSs, ODOT did a pretty good job.

5) If US-23 was ever to be co-signed as I-73 from Delaware to Carey, Marion County is close to being interstate standards, as is Hancock County along SR-15 (but not along the US-68 duplex).  Wyandot County would have a LOT of work needed to get up to interstate standards.

6) I'm glad I-75 is 3 lanes between Findlay and Toledo as there was so much
traffic.

7) Kudos to ODOT &/or Lucas County for the consistent posting of reassurance route shields on the traffic light posts at major intersections and trailblazers for the major Interstates, when warranted.

8) Is it my imagination, or is the city of Toledo getting away from citywide synchronized traffic signals and going to vehicle detection camera intersections?   I swear, when I used to live here decades ago and up to 10 years ago, you could go blocks, if not miles down a single road before you would hit a red light.
 

I'll have to try that Sawmill Parkway.

Lately I've been taking I-71 to US-36 to US-23 - but mostly to hit that Raising Cane's.

[wriddle082]

^^ Today I drove from Delaware, OH to Toledo via 23/15/75.  My observations:

1) For those who dread traveling US-23 from I-270 to Delaware, Sawmill Parkway from US-42 in Delaware to I-270 is your best friend!!!  The only REAL traffic you encounter is between SR-750 and I-270.

2) Not only is US-23 from Delaware to the Marion County line is a PITA to drive on heavy traffic days, but the pavement needs a good rehab!

3) Like most non-interstate freeways, the exits along US-23 are slowly and sporadically numbered.  By the time you hit Wyandot County, any mileage-based exit numbering is non-existant.

4) In the places where Clearview was used on the BGSs, ODOT did a pretty good job.

5) If US-23 was ever to be co-signed as I-73 from Delaware to Carey, Marion County is close to being interstate standards, as is Hancock County along SR-15 (but not along the US-68 duplex).  Wyandot County would have a LOT of work needed to get up to interstate standards.

6) I'm glad I-75 is 3 lanes between Findlay and Toledo as there was so much
traffic.

7) Kudos to ODOT &/or Lucas County for the consistent posting of reassurance route shields on the traffic light posts at major intersections and trailblazers for the major Interstates, when warranted.

8) Is it my imagination, or is the city of Toledo getting away from citywide synchronized traffic signals and going to vehicle detection camera intersections?  I swear, when I used to live here decades ago and up to 10 years ago, you could go blocks, if not miles down a single road before you would hit a red light.
 

I'll have to try that Sawmill Parkway.

Lately I've been taking I-71 to US-36 to US-23 - but mostly to hit that Raising Cane's.

The northern end of Sawmill does have a lot of roundabouts.  When I was working in that area last year I drove it a lot at night, so they didn't affect me much, but they could be worse during the day.

[thenetwork]

^^ Today I drove from Delaware, OH to Toledo via 23/15/75.  My observations:

1) For those who dread traveling US-23 from I-270 to Delaware, Sawmill Parkway from US-42 in Delaware to I-270 is your best friend!!!  The only REAL traffic you encounter is between SR-750 and I-270.

2) Not only is US-23 from Delaware to the Marion County line is a PITA to drive on heavy traffic days, but the pavement needs a good rehab!

3) Like most non-interstate freeways, the exits along US-23 are slowly and sporadically numbered.  By the time you hit Wyandot County, any mileage-based exit numbering is non-existant.

4) In the places where Clearview was used on the BGSs, ODOT did a pretty good job.

5) If US-23 was ever to be co-signed as I-73 from Delaware to Carey, Marion County is close to being interstate standards, as is Hancock County along SR-15 (but not along the US-68 duplex).  Wyandot County would have a LOT of work needed to get up to interstate standards.

6) I'm glad I-75 is 3 lanes between Findlay and Toledo as there was so much
traffic.

7) Kudos to ODOT &/or Lucas County for the consistent posting of reassurance route shields on the traffic light posts at major intersections and trailblazers for the major Interstates, when warranted.

8) Is it my imagination, or is the city of Toledo getting away from citywide synchronized traffic signals and going to vehicle detection camera intersections?  I swear, when I used to live here decades ago and up to 10 years ago, you could go blocks, if not miles down a single road before you would hit a red light.
 

I'll have to try that Sawmill Parkway.

Lately I've been taking I-71 to US-36 to US-23 - but mostly to hit that Raising Cane's.

The northern end of Sawmill does have a lot of roundabouts.  When I was working in that area last year I drove it a lot at night, so they didn't affect me much, but they could be worse during the day.

The "roundabouts" section of Sawmill Parkway Was added about 10 years ago, finishing the extension to Delaware.

As of now, all of the roundabouts intersect mostly quiet roads.  That will change in the future as the Columbus Suburban Sprawl will continue northward.

Once you reach Seldom Seen Road, all intersections are 4-way signalized with your regular assortment of stores and gas stations...Including Sheetz!

And if you want to continue south of I-270 towards Dublin, bailing at Emerald Parkway to Riverside Drive avoids much of the traffic headaches as you get closer to I-270 dropping you at the intersection of US-33 and SR-161.