This story has been updated with additional information.
After years of construction, one-quarter of the improvements planned for a busy Columbus highway interchange are nearing completion. Huzzah!
A new flyover ramp connecting I-270 southbound and I-70 eastbound on Columbus’ east side is set to open the morning of Aug. 16, according to an ODOT spokesperson.
Signage spied by an eagle-eyed Dispatch editor on Aug. 14 originally suggested it would open on Aug. 15.
The new ramp is part of the ODOT I-70/I-270/Brice Road Eastbound Interchange Improvements project that began in 2022. The project’s completion date is set for Summer 2025.
The eastbound interchange improvements are the first phase of a planned four-phase project to improve the I-70/I-270/Brice Road Interchanges. Phases two and three will focus on the westbound portion of the interchange, while phase four will make improvements to the I-270/I-70 interchange.
Construction on phases two and three is set to take place from 2025 to 2027, while phase four’s construction dates have yet to be determined. The entire project will cost over $300 million.
Complicating matters further is the fact that all four phases of the I-70/I-270/Brice Road Interchanges project are themselves just one phase of ODOT’s larger Far East Freeway project to improve the Interstate 70 corridor from Livingston Avenue in Franklin County to the Fairfield/Licking County line. It’s like a Russian nesting doll of construction projects.
The Far East Highway project will also see improvements to U.S. 33 and Petzinger Road, I-70 at Hamilton Road and I-70 at SR 256 and Taylor Road.
If all those construction projects are making your head spin, the simple takeaway is this: If you travel on Interstate 70 to either enter Columbus from beyond 270 on the east side or leave Columbus the same way, expect to be dealing with construction for years to come.
Franklin County construction projects for the week of Aug. 15, 2025
Breaking and trending news reporter Nathan Hart can be reached at NHart@dispatch.com and at @NathanRHart on X and at nathanhart.dispatch.com on Bluesky.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: New flyover ramp opening soon at I-70/I-270 interchange in Columbus
Reporting by Nathan Hart, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
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