Project underway to help relieve I-270/71 congestion on North Side

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- More visible signs of the ongoing $36 million I-270/I-71 interchange improvement project on the North Side appeared this week: Lane shifts northward and solid white lines in the westbound lanes of I-270 between I-71 and U.S. 23.

ODOT District 6 Public Information Officer Matt McGuire said in an email that those are due to the project contractor doing work to recondition the road shoulders and placing temporary pavement to prepare for the next phases of work. Those next phases, McGuire said, are rebuilding some of the existing bridges at the interchange.

"The new bridges will be built on wider footings in order to allow for another lane on 71 NB through the interchange area up to Polaris/Gemini," he said.

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In addition to that, "the existing 270 EB to 71 NB flyover ramp will be resurfaced and striped for two lanes to increase capacity for that movement."

ODOT hopes this project, which is expected to last two years, will help relieve the ever-present congestion at this interchange.