The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) will begin construction for an extra travel lane designed to ease traffic congestion on I-670 in summer 2018.
The ‘SmartLane’ is an extra lane that will only be open 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday to help traffic flow smoothly on I-670 eastbound. Construction for the ‘SmartLane’ will start at the Fourth Street exit in downtown Columbus and extend to I-270.
Overhead message boards every three-quarters of a mile will alert drivers when the ‘SmartLane’ is available, with a green arrow indicating the lane is open while a red X means it is closed. The overhead message boards will also alert drivers of incidents up ahead such as accidents or disabled vehicles.
The message boards will also indicate the reduced speed when the ‘SmartLane’ is open. ODOT says traveling at a slower speed keeps traffic moving during congestion as opposed to a ‘stop and go’ condition which can extend commutes and cause accidents.
ODOT is coordinating construction of the ‘SmartLane’ with an interchange improvement project at I-670/I-270 and U.S. Rte. 62. ODOT will build two new ramp bridges to carry eastbound I-670 traffic to I-270 and I-270 traffic through the Easton area.
Construction is expected to be complete in 2019.
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Source: WBNS-TV
