COLUMBUS, Ohio — Central Ohio is working to make sure traffic continues to flow smoothly, as it prepares for an influx of workers over the next several years.
The Ohio Department of Transportation had already planned to widen the road on State Route 161 between Interstate I-270 and U.S. 62, but Intel’s $20 billion dollar investment announcement sped up the process.
“It’s an additional lane that will be added at the inside,” said Matt Bruning, who serves as the Press Secretary for the Ohio Department of Transportation. “So in the medians, we’re not taking any additional property to do it. It is all being done within the current footprint of the highway, and so we will certainly address the needs of the extra capacity that we’re going to see between Columbus out to the U.S. 62.”
ODOT workers in Delaware and Johnstown plan to start the project next month, but Fayette County may get some upgrades as well after Honda announced their $4 billion dollar investment. The Mid Ohio Regional Planning Commission said they constantly find and assess areas that might need attention in order to prepare for the coming growth.
“That sort of minor, that the travel conditions, the congestion, you know, and when you’re in stop and go condition and so that is that is a problem,” said Nick Gill with MORPC. “That’s when we look to help identify, you know, what can be done to alleviate congestion, because it’s much more of a safety hazard.”
MORPC and ODOT are working with local cities and counties to make sure they have the proper infrastructure. As Ohio continues to grow, Gill said it’s important to anticipate needs before a problem occurs.
“We’ve been planning for a region of 3.15 million people by 2050, planning to add 350,000 jobs for the region over the next 25 years or so and so it’s just a part of that continuous growth that Central Ohio has been enjoying,” said Gill.
Intel construction is in progress, already tracking over 150,000 hours in preparation. The plant is expected to be online by 2025 at the earliest.
