Construction crews in Ohio are focused on a series of projects to reconstruct Interstates 70/71 in downtown Columbus. This portion of Downtown Ramp Up work will alleviate safety and congestion problems along the corridor and is being overseen by the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT).
“There are actually seven active phases of construction,
starting with project 4R/6R, which began in late 2021 and builds a new bridge over the Olentangy River from 70 east and 71 north to 70 east, as well as a flyover bridge from 70 west to 71 south,” explained Steve Fellenger, Downtown Ramp Up project manager. “The other five phases were grouped into what we call Big Build, which rebuilds both 70 east and westbound inside lanes, along with new bridges on 70 over the river, High, 3rd and 4th streets.
“This includes bridge caps at High and 3rd and a trellis on Front Street. Other phases include mainline widening bridge repair and replacement to the bridges over SR 315.” Upon completion of all phases, the project
safety at three of the state’s top
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By Cindy Riley
ODOT Shares Safety Recommendations for U.S. 23 Corridor
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) Director Jack Marchbanks announced new recommendations to improve safety and traffic flow on a heavily traveled section of U.S. 23 between Columbus and Toledo.
Daily travel on the 23-mi. stretch of U.S. 23 from Worthington to Waldo currently exceeds the road’s capacity by 30 percent, causing regular traffic crashes and significant traffic congestion. Between 2020 and 2024, nine people were killed and 72 people were seriously injured in crashes within these 23 mi. alone. The average rush-hour commute is currently 40 minutes, and by 2050, ODOT estimates the commute will increase to 75 minutes.
“This small stretch of U.S. 23 is a vital corridor for freight, and those living and working in this area depend on it — but this road is not on par with the other routes that connect our major cities and even some of our mid-sized communities,” said DeWine.
ODOT’s U.S. 23 Connect road construction recommendations, which are divided into seven sections, would eliminate nearly all of the 39 traffic lights along the corridor, bringing the total number of signals to seven or fewer. The proposal would also widen lanes, add several interchanges, and construct overpasses to cut future rush hour travel time to less than 30 minutes. ODOT also estimates that the recommended upgrades would reduce traffic crashes by 50 percent, equating to the prevention of around 250 crashes.
Gov. DeWine asked ODOT to evaluate U.S. 23 road construction options in tandem with its ongoing statewide Strategic Transportation and Development Analysis that is assessing the needs of Ohio’s entire transportation network with respect to the state’s growing population and increasing economic development success. The statewide study, which is expected to be complete by the end of the year, will include the consideration of more direct freeway connections between Columbus and Toledo.
“These recommendations along U.S. 23 from Worthington to Waldo will improve safety and congestion for residents in these communities as well as those who
commute through this area,” said DeWine. “No matter what strategy the statewide study recommends on how to build a freeway between Toledo and Columbus, these U.S. 23 improvements must happen regardless.”
To fund the proposed U.S. 23 roadwork, ODOT estimates a cost of approximately $1.4 to $1.9 billion. Projects would be completed on a rolling basis.
“ODOT is no stranger to tackling major projects by taking small bites over several years rather than waiting decades for all the funding to be available at once. From the Downtown Ramp Up in Columbus to the Brent Spence Bridge Corridor Project in Cincinnati, we know how to get things done,” said Marchbanks.
Gov. DeWine has already committed $17 million for the initial design of U.S. 23 north of the city of Delaware, laying the groundwork for future investments. This includes the removal of seven signals from Delaware at Pennsylvania Avenue to State Route 229.
ODOT developed the recommendations for U.S. 23 after a series of public meetings between ODOT and local stakeholders, including the public, local government, school districts, businesses and first responders. Since then, engineers have analyzed data and more than 600 public comments to develop a comprehensive plan aimed at reducing congestion, improving safety, and enhancing overall travel experience.
“Northwest Ohio has spoken with one voice on the need for an efficient connection to Columbus for people and freight. With improvements to the existing Route 23, Governor DeWine is taking a positive first step toward a comprehensive plan that will support Ohio’s future economic vitality,” said Sandy Spang, executive director of the Toledo Metropolitan Area Council of Governments.
ODOT’s recommendations for U.S. 23 are not final plans. ODOT will present more details on the options during five public meetings in the coming months. The meetings will allow attendees to review the recommendations and provide feedback to inform any modifications to the plan.
For more information, visit transportation.ohio.gov.
Google to Invest Another $2.3B Into Ohio Data Centers
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) Google will invest an additional $2.3 billion to support three data center campuses in central Ohio, the company announced June 18.
The tech giant has centers in New Albany and Lancaster and one under construction in Columbus to help power its services such as search, Gmail, maps, cloud and YouTube for users around the world. The latest investment is in addition to the $4.4 billion that Google has spent in central Ohio since 2019. The company has not disclosed how the investments will be made or how they will be divvied up among the data center operations.
Data centers have proliferated across the United States and become a welcome revenue source for local governments. They also require a large amount of electricity and high-voltage transmission lines. Google’s data center in Douglas County, Ga.
Two-Crane Solution Solves Access Challenge in Old Natatorium
Converting an indoor swimming pool in Lorain, Ohio, into a meeting area and classrooms was going to take precast planks. However, there was no obvious way to get the planks inside the existing, about-to-betransformed natatorium structure.
Not only could a delivery truck not back into the building because there was no doorway large enough, even if it could, the placement of stairwells and other interior elements would have made navigation impossible.
So, what to do? ALL Erection & Crane Rental, a member of the ALL Family of Companies, worked with precast manufacturer Mack Industries on a novel solution for contractor John G. Johnson Construction.
ALL started by determining what lift equipment could fit inside the building, and Mack reverse-engineered its precast planks to suit the resulting radii and capacities.
Brian Meek, sales rep of ALL Erection & Crane Rental, said they landed on the unique solution of using two pieces of lift equipment — one outside the building, and a carry deck inside — to “hand off” each precast plank.
Set up outside was a Liebherr LTC 1050 all terrain crane. With three axles and a 50ton capacity, it drives more like a truck crane. Its job was to pick planks off the delivery truck, boom each piece through a doorway, and set it on the floor. Then a 25ton Broderson IC-400 carry deck crane took over.
“The Liebherr lays down the precast, the Broderson drives to the doorway, picks up the piece, performs a pick and carry to the set position, then deploys its outriggers before setting the piece,” Meek explained.
It’s a complex series of steps, one that required the Broderson to employ three dif-
ferent load charts for each pick: pick and carry on rubber, intermediate outriggers and full outriggers.
The capacities and radii necessary limited the size of each plank to 21 ft. long and 4 to 5 ft. wide, with weights of approximately 6,000 lbs. Mack Industries custom-cast each piece especially for the job.
The carry deck crane was, of course, building new interior walls for classrooms while also being confined by the alreadyexisting walls of the natatorium. Eventually, it would be sandwiched between both walls. This limited the reach, and the near radius was limited by the presence of the ceiling, so the plank couldn’t be lifted too closely, either.
Because of a well-thought-out plan, ALL worked with Mack Industries to set the 30
precast planks in less than two full days.
“Carry decks aren’t often used on construction projects, but they are ideal for work on flat, concrete surfaces, like industrial plant operations,” said Meek. “Because we were unable to drive the precast directly into the building as we typically do on this kind of project, the Broderson was a perfect solution working in tandem with the Liebherr LTC 1050.”
For more information, visit www.allcrane.com.
(All photos courtesy of ALL Crane)
Set up outside was a Liebherr LTC 1050 all-terrain crane. With three axles and a 50-ton capacity, it drives more like a truck crane.
The Liebherr LTC 1050’s job was to pick planks off the delivery truck, boom each piece through a doorway and set it on the floor.
A 25-ton Broderson IC-400 carry deck crane drives to the doorway, picks up the piece, performs a pick and carry to the set position, then deploys its outriggers before setting the piece.
The Broderson IC-400 employed three different load charts for each pick: pick and carry on rubber, intermediate outriggers and full outriggers.
The capacities and radii necessary limited the size of each plank to 21 ft. long and 4 to 5 ft. wide, with weights of approximately 6,000 lbs. Mack Industries custom-cast each piece especially for the job.
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ODOT Project Will Alleviate Congestion, Improve Safety
“The 70/71 projects date back to pre-2000 and have been led over the years by a handful of project managers and many ODOT construction staff.”
Steve Fellenger Ohio Department of Transportation
price tag is $1.4 billion, making it the largest transportation investment on a single construction project in Central Ohio. The costs for current phases are approximately $279 million for 4R/6R and roughly $343 million for Big Build.
A large part of the 70/71 project, especially in the current active construction phases, helps to alleviate the congestion and weaving movements by moving traffic in the correct lane, along with changing the ramps and, in some cases, eliminating them. There are 23 phases in all. Not including the seven phases of 4R/6R and Big Build, nine projects are complete, leaving seven additional projects yet to be finished. They include 2D, 3, 5, 6, 6B, 6C and 6D.
Kokosing Construction Inc. is building all seven of the current active phases and has been responsible for most of the earlier stages. Fellenger said overseeing a project that started years ago is no simple task.
“The 70/71 projects date back to pre-2000 and have been led over the years by a handful of project managers and many ODOT construction staff. We work closely with our consultants that designed the projects and continue to work with them throughout the project as questions arise.”
The 4R/6R completion date is scheduled for August 2026. Big Build completion is slated for July 2030, with a possible incentive for the contractor to finish as early as July 2029.
“The remaining phases continue to be evaluated, and decisions are being made on which phases to advance next,” said Fellenger. “We are addressing pavement and bridge conditions, along with building what phases make logical sense next. The challenge is not
As for traffic disruptions, said Fellenger, “We have received positive feedback on the already improved traffic flow. Motorists can sometimes get frustrated with the amount of traffic that is present, and we hope they understand we are doing our best to get the project constructed quickly and efficiently, as well as limiting impacts. We try to get traffic information out to the public as early as possible, along with advanced warning signs of road or ramp closures or restrictions.”
At the moment, the contractor is primarily focused on demolition of existing bridges and construction of new bridges, as these are the operations most critical to their schedule.
getting ahead of ourselves or painting ourselves in a corner, as there are many implications on what we replace and how we impact other routes, bridges, ramps and retaining walls, not only with construction, but also with the maintenance of traffic during construction.”
According to Ian Downing, area engineer of ODOT District 6, there’s a lot to keep up with on the current phases of construction.
“The biggest challenges are the available space, and conflicts that come with working in the dense urban setting of downtown
Columbus. With an aggressive project schedule and several invested stakeholders, any unforeseen issues, even minor ones, can have a huge impact on the overall cost and completion date of the project. At the moment, the contractor is primarily focused on demolition of existing bridges and construction of new bridges, as these are the operations most critical to their schedule.
“Project 4R/6R recently opened the new eastbound ramp to traffic in May of this year. The associated structure and roadway work has been a major focus of the project team for the past two years. This traffic switch has opened the door to rebuild the existing eastbound see ODOT page 10
ODOT photo
This portion of Downtown Ramp Up work will alleviate safety and congestion problems and is being overseen by the Ohio Department of Transportation.
ODOT from page 1
ODOT Chooses Roundabout at SR 117, SR 501 Intersection
Alternative 1 — conventional roundabout shifted south of existing intersection.
Covering Northeast Ohio 8155 Roll & Hold Pkwy. Macedonia, OH 44056
Deneen Avenue Monroe, OH 45050
513-649-8105 www.companywrenchjcb.com
The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) has selected a conventional roundabout as the preferred alternative to improve safety at the intersection of State Route 117 and State Route 501 (Wapak Road) in Shawnee Township, Allen County.
The project aims to enhance safety at the intersection by constructing a single-lane roundabout.
The preferred alternative, referred to as Alternative 1, was one of four presented to the public earlier this year.
Alternative 1, which will construct a roundabout south of the existing intersection, offers the greatest overall benefits compared to the other options. While all alternatives improve traffic flow and are comparable in costs and impacts, two were unconventional, less-proven layouts. Ultimately, the combination of safety, cost-effectiveness and familiarity with local roundabout designs led to the selection of Alternative 1 as the most effective solution to improve safety at the intersection.
The project will now advance to the detailed design phase. The tentative schedule is as follows:
• Fall 2024 — Spring 2025: Further pre-
The project aims to enhance safety at the intersection by constructing a single-lane roundabout.
liminary design, environmental studies
• Spring 2025 — Spring 2026: Right-ofway acquisition, detailed design
• Summer 2026 — Fall 2026: Construction
For more information, visit transportation.ohio.gov/allen117roundabout.
Questions and comments regarding the selection of the preferred alternative can be sent to project manager Morgan Gerdeman at Morgan.Gerdeman@dot.ohio.gov or 419/999-6869.
Ohio DOT photo
Reconstruction of Lanes to Take Place
During ‘Big Build
roadway and bridges, which gave the green light for Big Build work to begin.”
Downing said a number of key tasks remain for crews.
“Project 4R/6R will need to finish constructing the Front Street bridge and make the connection of the new ramp to downtown over the next year. We will also finish constructing the 23-span flyover bridge from downtown to 71 south, which is a massive undertaking.
“Big Build will be reconstructing the eastbound lanes over the next couple of years, followed by the westbound lanes. The project also will reconstruct the High Street, 3rd Street and 4th Street bridges and widen the 70/71 corridor through downtown over the next several years.”
Regarding the construction of new urban avenues parallel to the interstate, crews are using the local city streets as collector/distributor roads rather than building the interstate up or out. Mound and Fulton become one way streets and provide the connectivity and access that allow the system to better function.
Early site work in 4R/6R consisted of a significant amount of embankment and retaining wall work to prepare the footprint of the new exit ramp to downtown. Early Big Build operations are concentrating on tearing down the existing eastbound bridges as workers prepare to rebuild them from their foundations up.
The current phases of construction consist of typical heavy highway operations. Cranes, drill rigs, excavators, loaders, dozers, pavers, rollers and many other pieces of heavy equipment can be seen on the project site. Main materials include asphalt, concrete, embankment, rock, steel beams, rebar and numerous items needed for lighting, traffic control, traffic signals and drainage.
For Fellenger, working on the mega undertaking is rewarding, despite the seemingly never-ending timeline.
“There is a great deal of pride to be a part of such a large project that benefits so many people. My pleasure comes from making Ohio roadways safer, so, that people can get home to their loved ones.” CEG
The costs for current phases are approximately $279 million for 4R/6R and roughly $343 million for Big Build.
Early site work in 4R/6R consisted of a significant amount of embankment and retaining wall work to prepare the footprint of the new exit ramp to downtown.
