Traveling east on Interstate 670 in Columbus prior to the Interstate 71 interchange, no fewer than four exits (Exit 3C, Junction Ohio 3/Cleveland Avenue; Exit 4A, Junction Interstate 71 south to Cincinnati; Exit 4B, Junction U.S. 40/Broad Street; Exit 4C, Junction Interstate 71 north to Cleveland) depart from Interstate 670 in a very short distance. Through traffic must use the number three lane (second from right) to remain on Interstate 670 east toward the airport. Photo taken by Jasper Nijdam (04/02/08).
Routing
Interstate 670 in Ohio provides a cross-town connection between Interstate 70 and Interstate 270, roughly parallel to U.S. 62. The highway composes the northern half of the inner belt, a system of freeways including Ohio 315, Interstate 70 and Interstate 71. Interstate 670 will provide congestion relief to the southern inner belt alignment of the Interstate 70-71 overlap. The freeway carries up to eight lanes of travel.
History
Planned in 1965, with construction scheduled to begin in 19762, Interstate 670 was partially complete when funding shortfalls curtailed construction. This left two gaps in the overall alignment: Interstate 71 to Port Columbus International Airport and Ohio 315 to Grandview Avenue. The airport connection opened in 1993 and the Grandview connection by June of 2002, both of which added to the overall $175 million investment that constituted Interstate 670. The aforementioned two segments were to be constructed in the late 1970, but in addition to the funding issues, changes in environmental regulations complicated matters. Planning began in 1965 and a design approved by 1971. Construction was to commence after the 1976 opening of the nearby Interstate 70/71 interchange. A 1970 environmental shift in policy prevented the relocation of the Scotio River, a piece of the Interstate 670 overall project. The actions of the National Environmental Protection Act curtailed the project and forced planners to redesign the highway from scratch in 1978. From then until 1983, up to six alternatives were considered in conjunction with new environmental review processes. The final alignment was chose in 1984.1
Additional funding shortfalls occurred in the late 1980s, complicating the forward progress of the highway in conjunction with the overall complex design. It was not until 1993 that the first of the original 15 projects associated with Interstate 670 opened to traffic. By 1996 a financial recommitment by the City of Columbus and state transportation officials was agreed upon to countermand additional funding deficits. The agreement led for ODOT to take over construction and funding of Interstate 670 west of Neil Avenue and for the City of Columbus to cover the alignment east of Neil Avenue. The September 2003 opening of the projects mentioned above culminate the final two projects of the original 15 of Interstate 670. Additionally the alignment from Interstate 70 to
Grandview Avenue was reconstructed recently between June 2002 and July 2003.1
Interstate 670 has undergone extensive reconstruction. On March 30, 2002, Interstate 670 between Third Street and Neil Avenue closed for 18 months for rehabilitation and expansion. The closure coincides with new construction of Interstate 670 between Ohio 315 and Neil Avenue, an overall $75 million project. Included are aesthetic improvements such as iron fencing and decorative lighting.1 On September 19, 2003, Interstate 670 officially opened to traffic, thus completing the Ohio Interstate system.2 3 AASHTO officially approved Interstate 670 on May 14, 2004, with concurrence by the Federal Highway Administration obtained on May 24, 2004.
|
|
| Perspective from Interstate 70 east |
| The first advance signage for the split between Interstate 670 and Interstate 70 east is at Exit 94, Wilson Road. Exit 94 is a partial cloverleaf interchange located two miles west of the Interstate 70-670 split. Photo taken by Chris Lokken and Amber Mason (06/23/08). |
|
| To the Nationwide Arena and COSI Science Center, follow Interstate 70 east. Photo taken by Chris Lokken and Amber Mason (06/23/08). |
|
| Interstate 70 eastbound expands to four lanes in anticipation of the split with Interstate 670 west. The inner belt freeway of Columbus departs with two exit only lanes on the left in one mile. Photo taken by Chris Lokken and Amber Mason (06/23/08). |
|
| To downtown Columbus, follow Interstate 70 east. The left three lanes will connect to Interstate 670 east to Port Columbus International Airport. Photo taken by Chris Lokken and Amber Mason (06/23/08). |
|
 |
A second look at the Interstate 70 and Interstate 670 split at Exit 96. A partial "Y" interchange facilitates the movements between the two freeways west of downtown Columbus. Interstate 670 bypasses the Columbus central business district to the north between Ohio 315 and junction Interstate 71. The freeway continues from there to the Columbus Beltway (Interstate 270) and Port Columbus International Airport. Photo taken by Chris Lokken and Amber Mason (06/23/08). |
| Perspective from U.S. 62 west |
| U.S. 62 (Granville Street) upgrades to Interstate 670 at its directional-cloverleaf interchange with Interstate 270. The two highways share pavement between the Columbus Beltway and Exit 7 at Bexley. Interstate 270 travels eight miles south to junction Interstate 70 and nine miles northwest to junction Interstate 71. The beltway utilizes the control cities of Interstate 70 and 71 throughout its routing. Photo taken by Dave Sudhoff (12/04). |
| Perspective from Interstate 270 north (outer loop) |
| Northbound Interstate 270/Outer Belt approaches Exit 35, Junction Interstate 670/U.S. 62 west and U.S. 62 east near the Port Columbus International Airport. Photo taken 10/15/04. |
|
|
|
Sources:
- Interstate 670 Project Information. The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT)
- "Ohio's Interstate Highway System Complete." WCPO TV-9, September 19, 2003
- Ohio Interstate Highway System Historical Timeline - Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) Official Site
Page Updated August 3, 2008.
