March 9, 200718 yr From ThisWeek Licking County, 2/3/07: Behind but moving forward Route 161 showing signs of progress Saturday, February 3, 2007 By LORI WINCE ThisWeek Staff Writer Already about five months behind schedule, the widening of state Route 161 has slowed down during the winter, officials say. "The weather wasn't cooperating," said Numan Babieh, an engineer with the Ohio Department of Transportation's District 5. "It pushed the project as a whole about five months back." Babieh said rain caused the delay. Crews directed by general contractor Shelly and Sands Inc. couldn't get the proper foundation set in place for road work at state Route 310. He explained that the ground was too soft to build up an embankment. "One day of rain can shut a project down for a week," he said. FULL ARTICLE: http://www.thisweeknews.com/?story=sites/thisweeknews/020307/LickingCounty/News/020307-News-300678.html
March 9, 200718 yr From the 2/23/07 Newark Advocate: PHOTO: Bridge supports have been put into place along Mink Road for the Ohio 161/37 project. Eric George, The Advocate Ohio 161/37 project awaits spring Trees being cleared; bridge skeleton in place By MARK SZAKONYI Advocate Reporter NEWARK -- Construction on the Ohio 161/37 expressway has come to a halt because of poor weather, but recent work has helped prepare the project to continue in April. About 2,000 trees adjacent to the highway between Watkins Road and Granville have been cut down in recent weeks, Ohio Department of Transportation spokeswoman Cindy Brown said. She said the trees must be cut down before April 15, when the endangered Indiana bat species could start nesting in the trees. She said the bats are attracted to dead or dying trees. The plan to widen the road between Watkins Road and Granville, known as Phase Two, is expected to go out for bid in April, and work will begin in May or June, she said. The first phase of the project originally was expected to be completed in May 2008, but its deadline has been pushed back to the end of 2008, she said. FULL ARTICLE: http://www.newarkadvocate.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070223/NEWS01/702230308/1002/rss01
March 9, 200718 yr From the 2/24/07 Newark Advocate: Hottinger worried about Ohio 161/37 funding State representative says construction will be reviewed By KENT MALLETT Advocate Reporter NEWARK -- The Ohio 161/37 expressway project from New Albany to Granville, already under way, apparently will be included in the new governor's re-evaluation of all major roadway construction projects. State Rep. Jay Hottinger, R-Newark, said Friday he does not expect the new administration of Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland to delay or stop the long-awaited project, but he has concerns because administration officials could not assure him changes wouldn't be made to existing projects. "There's projects going on all over the state, a number of projects where dirt is moving, and I wanted assurances those timetables won't be moved," Hottinger said. "My concern is we stay on schedule as much as possible." He said he endorses any evaluation of state spending, but it's awfully late to make any changes to projects as far along as the Ohio 161/37 widening. FULL ARTICLE: http://www.newarkadvocate.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070224/NEWS01/702240303/1002/rss01
March 9, 200718 yr From the 3/4/07 Newark Advocate: Civil War fundraiser aims to save home Capt. Scott House threatened with demolition for Ohio 161/37 expressway By L.B. WHYDE Advocate Reporter ALEXANDRIA -- An Alexandria committee trying to save an historic house at the corner of Ohio 161 and 37 will be hosting a Civil War fundraiser this coming weekend. The supper and auction, to be Saturday at Alexandria Elementary School, aims to raise enough money to move the house out of the path of the Ohio 161/37 expressway project. At least $45,000 must be raised by next month or the Capt. Joseph M. Scott House likely will be demolished. The blue Victorian Italianate style home was built shortly after the Civil War by Scott, an outspoken abolitionist and prominent farmer and historian. FULL ARTICLE: http://www.newarkadvocate.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070304/NEWS01/703040310/1002/rss01 From ThisWeek Licking County, 3/4/07: PHOTO: Indiana bat ODOT crews working to preserve Indiana bat habitat along 161 Officials unsure if bats use area Sunday, March 4, 2007 By LORI WINCE ThisWeek Staff Writer State officials try to protect endangered species during road-construction projects, even when they're not certain the species actually inhabits the immediate area. Construction crews working with the Ohio Department of Transportation to widen state Route 161 from New Albany to Granville have to clear trees along the route by April 15 so that the endangered Indiana bat's habitat will not be disturbed. Angela Zimmerman, endangered-species coordinator with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of Ecological Services, said there haven't been many surveys done in Licking County that could show whether the bats use trees in that area. In the absence of surveys, she said, "If the habitat is suitable, we'll assume presence." FULL ARTICLE: http://www.thisweeknews.com/?story=sites/thisweeknews/030407/LickingCounty/News/030407-News-314716.html
April 4, 200718 yr From the 1/21/07 Dispatch: Worthington, ODOT come to terms over work on Rts. 23, 315 I-270 ramp projects on track to start in '09 Sunday, January 21, 2007 Dean Narciso THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH For more than two years, Worthington leaders have been concerned about plans to overhaul the north Outerbelt at Rts. 23 and 315 and how the suburb might be altered. Freeway ramps might cut close to nearby businesses, force the removal of shrubs and flowers along the city's northern gateways and block pedestrian access. As Ohio Department of Transportation plans became more defined, so too did Worthington's fear that it might be squeezed out of any role in the design. "They wanted to be certain that the project didn't get away from them," said Bob Lawler, transportation director of the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission. More at http://www.dispatch.com/dispatch/contentbe/dispatch/2007/01/21/20070121-C6-02.html
June 16, 200717 yr From ThisWeek Worthington, 3/8/07: ODOT to look to city in I-270 design plans Thursday, March 8, 2007 By CANDY BROOKS ThisWeek Staff Writer The state will consider Worthington's concerns when designing the new interchange at I-270 and North High Street. Worthington City Council on Monday approved a letter from the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) outlining its commitment to the city. It will be attached to a MORPC resolution permitting the design work to proceed on the project. The resolution will be considered for approval at a MORPC meeting set for Thursday. In the letter, ODOT District 6 director Thomas Wester committed to "maximize the availability of greenspace on I-270 and U.S. 23 interchange and to provide aesthetics that are consistent with the Worthington Architectural Review guidelines." The letter also commits the state to investing $2-million for the development and construction of a bicycle/pedestrian facility over I-270. Construction of the new interchanges at I-270 at Rt. 23 and at Rt. 315 is not scheduled to begin for five years, but council members are concerned because the aesthetics of the project will impact the first impression of the city to many motorists. More at http://www.thisweeknews.com/?story=sites/thisweeknews/030807/Worthington/News/030807-News-317219.html
June 16, 200717 yr Link contains a photo. From the 5/6/07 Dispatch: I-270 renovation at Rt. 23 poses hurdle for kids' camp Northbound traffic to lack direct access Sunday, May 6, 2007 3:49 AM By Tim Doulin THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Summer camp is supposed to be a pleasant experience. But the operator of a popular camp on the Far North Side said a proposed highway project would test bus drivers' nerves and could hurt her business. The state plans to reconfigure the I-270 interchange to move vehicles more quickly along Rt. 23 and eliminate backups on the north Outerbelt. But Marci Ryan worries that the improvements will make it more difficult for buses carrying kids to reach Camp Mary Orton. "We serve 200 inner-city kids who come on buses every day in the summer," said Ryan, director of the camp founded in 1911 on Rt. 23, north of the Pontifical College Josephinum. "How is that going to happen? I have to figure out a way to make that happen." Two northbound express lanes are expected to be added to Rt. 23 heading north from I-270 by 2016, at the latest. Northbound motorists will no longer be able to turn left off Rt. 23 to enter the camp. Instead, they will have to drive past the camp entrance about a quarter-mile to North Woods Boulevard to turn around and come back south. More at http://www.dispatch.com/dispatch/content/local_news/stories/2007/05/06/MARYORTON.ART_ART_05-06-07_B3_NS6JT3I.html
June 16, 200717 yr From ThisWeek Worthington, 6/14/07: ODOT to fix dangerous I-270 to S.R. 315 ramp Thursday, June 14, 2007 By CANDY BROOKS ThisWeek Staff Writer One of Worthington's most dangerous stretches of roadway will be reconstructed by the state next year. Since January 2005, seventy-six accidents have occurred on the I-270 eastbound ramp onto Rt. 315 southbound. Typically, the crashes involve one car that has gone too fast on the ramp which curves, straightens out, curves again, and merges with two lanes of traffic coming onto the ramp from I-270 westbound. "It is a significant safety hazard," City Manager Dave Elder told city council on Monday. Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) plans call for reconfiguring the curves to discourage speed and eliminating the merge by increasing the ramp from two to three lanes. "Flattening out" the curves and doing away with the merge will reduce the number of quick decisions required by drivers, said ODOT engineer Gary Harrington. ODOT has made several changes to the ramp in recent years, including some realignment, new signs, and installing rumble strips. More at http://www.thisweeknews.com/?story=sites/thisweeknews/061407/Worthington/News/061407-News-372474.html
June 25, 200717 yr From the 3/22/07 Johnstown Independent: PHOTO: Motorists head west past the Captain Scott House on state Route 161. Donations from community and area business have allowed the Friends of Captain Scott House to relocate the home, which sits on land that ODOT plans to use to widen state Route 161. Tim Norman/Independent Eleventh-hour business pledges save Scott house Thursday, March 22, 2007 By MARLA K. KUHLMAN Independent Staff Writer The Friends of Captain Scott Committee had raised enough pledges by last week to meet a March 16 deadline to relocate the Captain Scott house, currently located at the corner of state routes 37 and 161. Following a successful Civil War Supper and Auction March 10, which raised $9,300, the committee received $5,000 pledges from both American Electric Power and Park National Bank last week. The pledges have made it possible for the Alexandria Community Council to sign the house mover's contract and meet the Ohio Department of Transportation's March 16 commitment to move the house, said Donna Herring, who chairs the committee. The site where the home currently sits is included in phase two of the state Route 161 widening project. Preparation of the house for the move is expected to begin in the next week. Bill Dingey, of Dingey Movers, Zanesville, said prep work will take about two weeks. He anticipates his company will be ready to roll the house away from its present position in the first week of April. FULL ARTICLE: http://www.thisweeknews.com/?story=sites/thisweeknews/032207/Johnstown/News/032207-News-322865.html
June 25, 200717 yr From the 4/19/07 Johnstown Independent: House expected to be moved by deadline Thursday, April 19, 2007 By MARLA K. KUHLMAN Independent Staff Writer Although a definite move date for the Captain Scott House hadn't been decided by press time, a committee leader said an April 20 deadline would be met. "We're just waiting on the signature of a land owner," said Donna Herring, chair of the Friends of Captain Scott committee of the Alexandria Community Council. Herring is hoping to arrange a color guard send-off for the house, which was built circa 1870 for Joseph M. Scott, an outspoken abolitionist and locally prominent farmer and historian who earned his captainship in the Civil War. Over a week ago, when a utility pole blew over and state Route 37 was closed at state Route 161 for about an hour, many people who came to the intersection thought the Captain Scott house was moving. FULL ARTICLE: http://www.thisweeknews.com/?story=sites/thisweeknews/041907/Johnstown/News/041907-News-337551.html
June 25, 200717 yr From the 4/24/07 Newark Advocate: Woman awarded $2.3 million for land Jury verdict costs ODOT on road project By KENT MALLETT Advocate Reporter NEWARK -- A jury awarded a Jersey Township woman $2.3 million Thursday for 8.9 acres of land taken by the Ohio Department of Transportation for the Ohio 161/37 widening and relocation project. Mildred Fry, 74, lost the land from the middle of her 32-acre farm at the southwest corner of Beech and Dublin-Granville roads. She was awarded compensation that included $1.5 million for land and structures removed and $830,000 for damage to land not taken. Fry's attorneys, William Goldman and Michael Braunstein, convinced the Licking County jury of their case in Judge Thomas Marcelain's courtroom in Common Pleas Court. ODOT had offered $657,450. The lawsuit was filed in 2005. "I don't believe she got a nickel more than it was worth," Goldman said. "Her land and future financial security were substantially disrupted by ODOT's taking of her property. We are delighted that the jury agreed that Fry needed to be fairly compensated." FULL ARTICLE: http://www.newarkadvocate.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070424/NEWS01/704240302/1002/rss01
June 25, 200717 yr From the 4/26/07 Johnstown Independent: PHOTO: The great-grandson of Captain Joseph M. Scott, Doug Bennet, left, talks with life-long resident Fred Nichols as the Captain Scott house is moved Sunday, April 22. The massive move drew a crowd who came to watch the local landmark being driven down Johnstown-Alexandria Road to its new location on the west side of Alexandria. Photos by James Chance/Independent PHOTO: Ohio state route signs are temporarily removed to make way for the Captain Scott house as it is relocated. PHOTO: Four-year-old Will Holt of Alexandria stands-off with the house. Captain Scott House begins its move Thursday, April 26, 2007 By MARLA K. KUHLMAN Independent Staff Writer The Captain Scott House started a slow journey to its new location at 8:45 a.m. Sunday, and movers hoped to have it to its new site by today (Thursday). Donna Herring, chair of the Friends of Captain Scott committee of the Alexandria Community Council, said Monday morning that Dingey movers had transported the house to about a half-mile from its final destination. The Captain Scott House had been at the corner of state Route 37 and 161 for nearly 140 years. The house needed to be moved to make way for the 37/161 widening project of the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT). The process of moving the house -- over 42 feet at its widest and 80 feet in its longest dimensions -- involved traveling north on 37 about 1200 feet to the first farm drive, then turning west into a field, which is currently being prepared to plant corn. About three days later, weather permitting, it is to arrive at its new location on 37 west of Alexandria, having traveled about a mile over farm fields at a rate of 100-150 feet per hour. FULL ARTICLE: http://www.thisweeknews.com/?story=sites/thisweeknews/042607/Johnstown/News/042607-News-342135.html
June 25, 200717 yr From the 6/7/07 Mount Vernon News: Historic house nearly finished with journey By Pamela Schehl, News Staff Reporter Thursday, June 07, 2007 ALEXANDRIA — The odyssey of the historic Captain Scott House is coming to a close. It is just yards away from its new home west of Alexandria on Ohio 37, after a journey which began on April 22. Originally standing on the corner of Ohio 161 and Ohio 37, the 140-year-old house was scheduled for demolition when the Ohio Department of Transportation made plans to widen the intersection. The Alexandria Community Council solicited moral support and funds to preserve the Italianate Victorian home and move it to another site. The house, more than 80 feet long and weighing more than 100 tons, was transported across the fields, ditches and hedgerows of three farms to avoid tangling with traffic on Ohio 37. Once the house is stabilized in its new location, the restoration phase of the project will begin. It is expected that the house will serve as a public museum and community center after its restoration. For further information, log onto www.CaptainScottHouse.org. FULL ARTICLE: http://www.mountvernonnews.com/local/07/06/07/house.moving.html
June 25, 200717 yr Both from the 6/17/07 Newark Advocate: PHOTO: Construction continues on the Ohio 161/37 project, though phase one is five months behind schedule. The Ohio 310 bridge and exchange construction is progressing. Eric George, The Advocate Weather causes 161/37 construction to fall behind by five months By MARK SZAKONYI Advocate Reporter ST. ALBANS TOWNSHIP -- More than a year after its start, the first phase of the Ohio 161/37 project is about five months behind schedule. The closed Ohio 310 that originally was to reopen in February still is closed and expected to require drivers to take a six-mile detour until it opens in September, said Numan Babieh, Ohio Department of Transportation District 5 area engineer. "Last season, we got hit with real bad weather," he said. "The whole project was delayed by about five months." Babieh said a summer drought would affect workers' ability to create adequate compaction but would not be as detrimental as heavy rain. "Every set of conditions creates its own issues," said ODOT District 5 spokesman Jim Spain. Spain said it was unlikely the phase one contractor, Shelly & Sands Inc., would be penalized for not meeting deadlines because bad weather conditions typically void payment deductions. FULL ARTICLE: http://www.newarkadvocate.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070617/NEWS01/706170324/1002/rss01
July 12, 200717 yr From the 7/11/07 Newark Advocate: PHOTO: The Captain Scott House sits in a field in north Alexandria. Morgan Wonorski, The Advocate County foundation aids Scott House work For The Advocate ALEXANDRIA -- The Licking County Foundation has awarded $12,900 to support the relocation expenses of the Captain Scott House in Alexandria. The grant, awarded to the Licking County Historical Society, will pay for expenses of the basement and associated work needed for the initial stabilization of the house in its new location on the west edge of the village. "The Licking County Historical Society has supported our effort to save the house from the very beginning." said Donna Herring, chair of the Friends of Captain Scott committee of the non-profit Alexandria Community Council, the group that organized the house's move. The house was built circa 1870 for Joseph M. Scott, an outspoken abolitionist and prominent farmer and local historian who earned his captainship in the Civil War. A classic example of the Victorian Italianate architectural style, the home was built on a grand scale and includes a hand-carved spiral staircase. For more information, visit www.CaptainScottHouse.org. FULL ARTICLE: http://www.newarkadvocate.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070711/NEWS01/707110328/1002/rss01
July 17, 200717 yr From ThisWeek Olentangy, 4/12/07: County to realign West Orange Road and widen bridge Thursday, April 12, 2007 By NATE ELLIS ThisWeek Staff Writer The realignment of West Orange Road and upgrades to a historic bridge over the Olentangy River are moving forward after county officials last week put the design team in place. The Delaware County commissioners last Monday voted unanimously to tap Dublin-based firm WE Partners Inc. to design the realignment of West Orange Road with Carriage Road to the west. http://www.thisweeknews.com/?story=sites/thisweeknews/041207/Powell/News/041207-News-336410.html
July 20, 200717 yr How fast is too fast on Spring or Long? Friday, July 20, 2007 3:28 AM By Robert Vitale THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH The weavers, yakkers and slowpokes are still out there, but another staple is missing from the commute in and out of Downtown. Columbus police have abandoned ticket-writing hot spots on Spring and Long streets near their own headquarters, as city and state officials debate how fast people should be allowed to drive there. The 35-mph speed-limit signs posted on the streets skirting the Arena District near North Bank Park are illegal, city officials acknowledge. But in an area where more condominiums are going up and more pedestrians are strolling about, they don't want to raise speeds to the 50 mph dictated by state law. A motorist identified by police only as a lawyer challenged a ticket he received there earlier this year. He contended that the posted limits don't conform to state guidelines. Columbus police used to monitor the routes regularly, but Lt. Edward DeVennish of the division's traffic bureau said no tickets have been written there since about April. MORE: http://dispatch.com/dispatch/content/local_news/stories/2007/07/20/mph.ART_ART_07-20-07_B1_AQ7B3II.html
July 20, 200717 yr This article should become part of the core curriculum for urban planning students.
July 20, 200717 yr A motorist identified by police only as a lawyer challenged a ticket he received there earlier this year. He contended that the posted limits don't conform to state guidelines. That's awesome. One of the reasons I want to get a J.D! I would definitely support 35 mph. To think that 50 mph would be allowed in a downtown; it's just sad.
July 20, 200717 yr This article should become part of the core curriculum for urban planning students. After reading this article...it might be more important for traffic engineers to have a look. I don't think you'll find too many planners opposed to this sort of action. Planners are actually critcized for wanting to 'traffic calm' too much.
July 20, 200717 yr ^Engineers pay heed as well, but I think the article does a good job of addressing the conflicts between pedestrians and drivers and the entities that govern them. If this sort of thing is not a part of urban planning curriculum, it should be (but what do I know: I went to school for art).
July 20, 200717 yr ^Engineers pay heed as well, but I think the article does a good job of addressing the conflicts between pedestrians and drivers and the entities that govern them. If this sort of thing is not a part of urban planning curriculum, it should be (but what do I know: I went to school for art). You'd be surprised how much they stress the benefits of new urbanism, responsible land-use, street life, wide sidewalks, traffic calming, pedestrian-friendliness, the whole nine. But you'd also be surprised by how many of them live in the suburbs. Engineers are known for caring more about trafflic flow. I haven't worked as a planner but I'm sure that's part of the reason why so many people say there should be more collaboration between engineers, architects and planners.
July 20, 200717 yr Engineers are known for caring more about trafflic flow. I haven't worked as a planner but I'm sure that's part of the reason why so many people say there should be more collaboration between engineers, architects and planners. I don't know how one could ever expect to accomplish anything without it.
July 23, 200717 yr I'll actually agree that the SL should be 50 MPH, but only for the reason that it should be legally changed to 35 MPH. There are too many documented cases in Ohio of where towns have illegally lowered the SL to an unrealistic rate for the ticket money or to harass innocent motorists and rape them of their hard-earned money. Think of Steubenville, one of the worst offenders. It wrote out 7,000 tickets in an illegal speed-camera program. The courts ruled the program illegal and unconstitutional since the city pocketed the money for their new police station. The city also engaged in illegal stops, searches and seizures, and used excessive force routinely. The city was the second in the nation to sign a consent decree with the federal government due to the excessive number of civil rights lawsuits as a result. Or New Rome, but that is pretty self-explanatory. Or Hanging Rock, Chesapeake, Coal Grove, New Boston... It's good to see Columbus at least recognize that the SL is illegal and are not pocketing the money like other cities would have. Now they should petition it to be lowered legally to 35 MPH and enforce that.
July 23, 200717 yr The problem here is that you have the law saying one thing (drive 50 mph), law enforcement saying another (drive 35 mph), and doing something else entirely (we mostly ain't pulling nobody over). The fact that it took a lawyer with a speeding ticket to call shenanigans (hat tip to David's catchphrase) on this should tell us that something's amiss here.
July 23, 200717 yr This article should become part of the core curriculum for urban planning students. Pedestrian/Automobile environmental interactions are part of the planning cirriculum at many schools. However it is not mandatory to take a class soley on this subject at OSU, its merely an option. We did get a taste of it in a class designed to touch down on all sorts of human-built environment interactions, but we did spend a few weeks discussing this topic.
July 23, 200717 yr "How Fast Is Too Fast in Downtown Columbus" We already know the answer to that question in Cincinnati: http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php?topic=3152.msg201985#msg201985
August 4, 200717 yr Delaware County Bridge not aging well, checkups confirm Saturday, August 4, 2007 3:23 AM By Dana Wilson THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH POWELL -- Those who live on W. Orange Road are well aware that the narrow, one-lane bridge stretching across the Olentangy River is aging and needs more than patchwork. Debra Stoner navigates the historic structure daily by car, and couldn't help but ponder its safety this week after watching TV news reports on the interstate bridge collapse in Minneapolis. http://dispatch.com/dispatch/content/local_news/stories/2007/08/04/orangerd.ART_ART_08-04-07_A1_R47HAJK.html
November 12, 200717 yr NEW FREEWAY FROM NEW ALBANY TO GRANVILLE Paved with a little extra cash In most cases, rejecting state's offer paid off for landowners in Rt. 161 expansion Monday, November 12, 2007 3:39 AM By Josh Jarman THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH The state's expansion of Rt. 161 between New Albany and Granville into a four-lane freeway should end the bottlenecks that plague the roadway. The first phase of the project, from New Albany to just east of Rt. 310, has been under construction for a year and is scheduled to wrap up next November. But convenience comes with a price. Protracted litigation over the state's acquisition of land has driven the cost of the project up by $5.7 million, a review of 30 contested property transactions showed. Still, that is within the Department of Transportation's built-in cushion for right-of-way settlements, a spokesman said. Although some of juries' awards were unexpectedly high, the department has not had to adjust the overall $151 million cost of the entire project, ODOT spokesman Scott Varner said. About $46 million paid for engineering and the expected cost of land purchases and litigation. The state would not divulge the exact breakdown of the project's costs, including how much was set aside to cover settlements exceeding the state's original offers. FULL ARTICLE: http://dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2007/11/12/161build.ART_ART_11-12-07_B1_OM8E9FL.html?sid=101 Couple sees advantage of building new road Monday, November 12, 2007 3:40 AM By Gail Martineau FOR THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH GRANVILLE, Ohio -- Enough vehicles have crashed outside Richard and Marjorie Neff's historic home along busy Rt. 161 for the couple to change their opinion about the construction outside their front door. "If you talked to us a year ago, we would have been unhappy," Mr. Neff said of the highway-construction project stretching from the Franklin County line to Granville -- and less than 100 feet from their home. On a normal evening, construction starts about 8p.m. and continues through the night. Floodlights make it seem like daytime. The bushes that blocked the Neffs' view of the road went along with the 2.7acres the state Transportation Department bought for $90,000 this year to accommodate the construction. "It turned out to be better than we thought," Mrs. Neff said recently. "I like to look out at the work. The whole activity is interesting." And because of the many wrecks the Neffs have seen in front of their house, Mr. Neff said he thinks that any inconvenience to him is worth it. "A woman died right out front not too long ago," he said. FULL ARTICLE: http://dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2007/11/12/161side.ART0_ART_11-12-07_B2_OM8E9UP.html?sid=101
February 21, 200817 yr Stop-and-go no more City wants to improve traffic flow by synchronizing signals with neighboring towns Thursday, February 21, 2008 3:33 AM By Tim Doulin THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Timing is everything when it comes to traffic signals. Few things annoy drivers more than being kept waiting at red light after red light. Take heart, rush-hour commuters. Columbus is planning to synchronize its traffic lights with more of its neighboring communities... [email protected] http://dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/02/21/trafficlights.ART_ART_02-21-08_B1_169DQP1.html?sid=101
February 21, 200817 yr BTW: I was told by one of Mayor Coleman's aides last night that the City of Columbus plans to completely reorganize it's Transportation Department this year because they want it to be more about moving people than just moving cars. Thought the above story would seem a bit at odds with that statement, it makes more sense when one considers the Mayor is also pushing initiatives such as the Downtown Streetcar, a city-wide bike plan and a Safe Sidewalks program.
August 31, 200816 yr Money for Rt. 161 won't run out Commuter-friendly widening nears halfway as future funding for new roads dwindles Sunday, August 31, 2008 3:24 AM By Tim Doulin THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Despite a tough economy and belt-tightening among state transportation projects, the Rt. 161 widening eventually will reach Granville in Licking County, officials said. "As a commissioner, I'm pleased we were sort of able to get this in under the wire before the economy and ODOT's available funding for construction just started to fade away," Commissioner Tim Bubb said. Before the end of the year, the first phase of the project is expected to be completed. That means four lanes from New Albany to just east of Watkins Road will be open to traffic in November. Bridges at Mink Street and Rt. 310 are completed and three others are expected to open this fall. However, a wet spring has delayed the projected completion of the second phase of the project, from about Watkins Road to Granville, from September 2009 until May 2010. MORE: http://www.dispatch.com
December 9, 200816 yr Delaware County OKs contractor for new Orange Road bridge Monday, December 8, 2008 5:51 PM By CANDACE PRESTON-COY ThisWeek Staff Writer Delaware County commissioners on Monday cleared the way for work to begin on a new Orange Road bridge over the Olentangy River, when they approved a construction contract for the project. Eagle Bridge Co. of Sidney was the low bidder at $2,717,707, county engineer Chris Bauserman told the commissioners. http://www.thisweeknews.com/live/content/olentangy/stories/2008/12/03/Orange_Road_bridge.html?type=rss&cat=&sid=104
December 27, 200816 yr Businesses left out of loop by new four-lane Rt. 161 1 owner fears foreclosure after seeing significant decrease in customers Saturday, December 27, 2008 - 3:12 AM By Josh Jarman THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH From the concrete apron at the front of his gas station, Ed Zerrei can watch thousands of cars as they zip along on the new highway -- a Hail Mary pass from his empty fuel pumps. More than 25,000 vehicles used to pass next to Zerrei's business every day. Now, hours can go by without a single car pulling into the station, he said. If it wasn't for his neighbors shopping at his convenience store, he said he would have closed already. When the first phase of the new four-lane Rt. 161 in Licking County opened in October, business owners along Worthington Road -- the old two-lane state route -- became landlocked from thousands of commuters. For Zerrei, who owns the Sunoco on old Rt. 161 between New Albany and Granville, the result has been crippling. Repeat business is what's keeping the lights on at the car dealership next door to the station. Charlie Hughes, sales manager at Liberty Dodge Chrysler Jeep, said the business used to count on anywhere from eight to 10 car sales a month from people just driving by. FULL ARTICLE: http://dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/12/27/161blues.ART_ART_12-27-08_B1_1VCBP32.html?sid=101
January 28, 200916 yr I-71/Rt. 665 interchange fix could open door to Rickenbacker Monday, January 26, 2009 - 2:55 AM By Martin Rozenman, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Grove City's leaders plan a revamped interchange at I-71 and Rt. 665 like the one Columbus and Dublin built to untangle Sawmill Road at I-270. Called a "single-point urban interchange," the $44 million project is scheduled to open in 2011. Construction would start in the spring of 2010, said Mike Keller of EMH&T engineering, which is designing the project. http://www.columbusdispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2009/01/26/SPUI.ART_ART_01-26-09_B4_G3CM5KK.html?sid=101
March 28, 200916 yr Stimulus roadwork selected 149 Ohio projects include work near Rickenbacker, Nationwide Children's Friday, March 27, 2009 - 3:09 AM By Mark Niquette, The Columbus Dispatch Work should begin in three to six months on nearly a dozen transportation projects in central Ohio that made the cut yesterday for federal economic-stimulus funding. The projects include a $14 million widening of a key access road around Rickenbacker Airport, plus $25 million in upgrades to Parsons and Livingston avenues as part of the expansion of Nationwide Children's Hospital. http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2009/03/27/projects.ART_ART_03-27-09_A1_31DC9G9.html?sid=101
March 28, 200916 yr Stimulus roadwork selected: 149 Ohio projects include work near Rickenbacker, Nationwide Children's Central Ohio Project list Friday, March 27, 2009 - 3:09 AM By Mark Niquette, The Columbus Dispatch Transportation projects in central Ohio counties selected for funding with federal stimulus dollars: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2009/03/27/projects.ART_ART_03-27-09_A1_31DC9G9.html?sid=101
March 31, 200916 yr Tiberi blasts ODOT for not funding Cherry Valley interchange By CHARLES A. PETERSON • Advocate Reporter • March 30, 2009 http://www.newarkadvocate.com/article/20090330/UPDATES01/90330042 GRANVILLE — Licking County must mount a more intense campaign to convince Gov. Ted Strickland and the Ohio Department of Transportation to fund a study for and construction of a Cherry Valley Road/Ohio 16 interchange, U.S. Rep. Pat Tiberi said Monday in Granville.
March 31, 200916 yr MORPC rejiggers road projects in line for fed cash Business First of Columbus - by Matt Burns Monday, March 30, 2009, 6:19pm EDT In a new list of area of infrastructure and transportation projects picked to share more than $28 million in federal stimulus help, the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission used the red pen on itself. The organization of more than 40 area governments late Monday rolled out a new roster of 16 projects, revised and reduced from an earlier proposal of 18 projects that was identified earlier in the month. Several new projects, including a $2 million allocation for the Rich Street bridge in Columbus, were added to the list while others were dropped, including the elimination of $2.7 million for a widening of Alkire Road between Creekside Drive and Harrisburg Pike in southwest Columbus. http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2009/03/30/daily12.html
April 4, 200916 yr Suburbs' clamor for share of stimulus cash pays off Wednesday, April 1, 2009 - 3:07 AM By Debbie Gebolys, The Columbus Dispatch Squeaky wheels have steered more of the $28 million in federal stimulus money for transportation in central Ohio toward suburbs, according to the latest proposal. Five suburbs were added to the list after officials complained that they were underrepresented on the original list drafted by the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission. http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2009/04/01/copy/MORPC_list.ART_ART_04-01-09_B1_TCDDSPK.html?adsec=politics&sid=101
April 4, 200916 yr The MORPC stimulus project list Wednesday, April 1, 2009 - 3:07 AM Bexley • Installation of handicapped-accessible sidewalks and ramps, $1.1 million http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2009/04/01/The_list.ART_ART_04-01-09_B2_TCDDTAO.html?sid=101
April 8, 200916 yr 315 nightmare Just face it, there won't be an easy way to get from here to there once ramps close Tuesday, April 7, 2009 - 3:20 AM By Bill Bush, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH If you typically use Rt. 315 to get to and from the Ohio State University area, your life is going to get more complicated this summer. The Ohio Department of Transportation will kick off a $24 million bridge-renovation and repaving project on the north-south artery in mid-June that will close 10 exit and entrance ramps. http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2009/04/07/315closures.ART_ART_04-07-09_A1_RLDFQL8.html?sid=101
April 8, 200916 yr And here is a map to prepare you for this summer's 315 apocalypse/cataclysm/nightmare. Which descriptive term depends on if you're watching Channel 4, 6 or 10. A special ODOT Web site will keep travelers updated on the project. The site -- www.buckeyetraffic.org/315 -- will feature interactive maps, up-to-date information, traffic advisories, detours and general information about the project. As if an ODOT website will save Columbus from this apocalypse/cataclysm/nightmare!
April 8, 200916 yr Why wasn't all this work done when they reconstructed 315 and 670 no more than a decade ago? Could this be another reason to support rail projects? No need to deal with continuous/endless road construction.
April 9, 200916 yr Why wasn't all this work done when they reconstructed 315 and 670 no more than a decade ago? I don't think this summer's 315 project involves any ramp reconstruction like was done around 10 years ago. Although the Dispatch article and the extended ramp closures do give you that impression. Apparently its mostly a resurfacing job. Here's the link to the ODOT press release for this project and other statewide projects. This release decribes the 315 project as follows: "Columbus - State Route 315 Resurfacing: With an investment of $24 million, ODOT will upgrade SR 315 with several bridge maintenance and resurfacing projects for three miles on SR 315 from I-670 to Ackerman Road, near the Ohio State University." And to answer the question... Could this be another reason to support rail projects? No need to deal with continuous/endless road construction. Yes indeed!
April 15, 200916 yr WALL-wheeee! Concrete noise barrier insulates homeowners from highway's hum Monday, April 13, 2009 - 3:01 AM By Kathy Lynn Gray, The Columbus Dispatch A new wall hides I-71 during playtime for Abigail Schaefer, 8, and cousin Hannah Schaefer, 8. The 24-foot-high barrier has drastically cut highway noise at the girls' North Linden homes, making cookouts more pleasant, said Abigail's mother, Jeanne. Jeanne Schaefer and her family had a normal conversation at their backyard cookout last week in North Linden. "We didn't have to yell," Schaefer said. "It was wonderful." http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2009/04/13/walledin.ART_ART_04-13-09_A1_SIDH7B1.html?sid=101
April 17, 200916 yr What a bunch of dumbasses. Living next to the freeway even though they hate the sound.
April 17, 200916 yr If one was of a conspiratorial bent, these walls do a pretty good job of hiding Columbus' less attractive neighborhoods, which nearly all of the neighborhoods along this corridor are.
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