The Front Street bridge over Interstates 70 and 71 in downtown Columbus and a new I-70 East ramp to Fulton Street will open Nov. 15, the Ohio Department of Transportation has announced.
Crews will get to work opening the new structures the night of Nov. 14, with a goal of having them open the morning of Nov. 15, ODOT spokesperson Matthew McGuire said.
The new Front Street bridge will allow two-way traffic and has improved bike and pedestrian facilities and room for green space. The new I-70 ramp will be accessible to I-70 East and I-71 North drivers, according to ODOT. Due to the new Fulton Street ramp, the I-70 East ramp to Livingston Avenue will close permanently Nov. 15. Drivers may still reach Livingston Avenue by exiting at Fulton Street and taking Third Street to Livingston Avenue.
The openings will mark the end of over three years of construction in the Front Street area as a part of ODOT’s Downtown Ramp Up project. It will also create a new two-way route over the interstates as the High Street bridge faces two years of lane restrictions.
The new Front Street bridge is the first of downtown’s interstate-spanning bridges to get a makeover for the project. The High Street bridge is being rebuilt, and the Third and Fourth Street bridges will be after that.
ODOT also plans to open its new I-71 South flyover ramp by the end of 2025.
Transportation and neighborhoods reporter Nathan Hart can be reached at NHart@dispatch.com, at @NathanRHart on X and at nathanhart.dispatch.com on Bluesky.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Front Street bridge, new Interstate 70 ramp to open Nov. 15 after years of construction
Reporting by Nathan Hart, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
