East Side ramp from I-270 to I-70 ramp scheduled to open Aug. 16
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- A flyover ramp on Interstate 270 will open this weekend on the East Side.
According to ODOT spokesperson Hannah Salem, the I-270 southbound to Interstate 70 eastbound flyover ramp is scheduled to open Saturday morning. The ramp has been in the works for three years, part of ongoing improvements to the interstates near Brice Road. Salem said the state will send out more information once the ramp is officially opened.
Leading up to the opening, ODOT will have overnight closures on many of the ramps between I-270 and I-70 near Brice Road. Find a full list of those closures here. Most closed areas will be reopened by 5 a.m.
The project began in summer 2022 and is part of the state's Far East Freeway projects. The flyover ramp is replacing an existing loop ramp. As part of the project, ODOT also adjusted the ramps between I-270 North, I-70 East and Brice Road to minimize weaving and merging.
The total construction cost of ODOT's reconfiguring at I-70 and I-270 near Brice Road is $76.68 million.
Once finished, the state plans to move on to reconfigure ramps from Brice Road to I-70 westbound, reconstruct the I-70 westbound to I-270 northbound ramp and widen or add lanes to the area for easier transportation. Construction on the next phase is expected to begin this year.
The work near Brice Road is one of four project areas ODOT is tackling along I-70. ODOT said the Far East Freeway projects will address the growing travel demands between Downtown and eastern Columbus suburbs.
The state aims to boost safety with targeted improvements along the portion of I-70 that runs parallel to Main Street from Whitehall to Reynoldsburg. Much of the planned work has not yet begun, and the state does not currently have a planned end construction date.