COLUMBUS, Ohio (WTVN)--The Ohio Department of Transportation has released information on the upcoming "South Side Mega Fix" project, to impact I-71 between State Route 315 downtown, and Stringtown Road in Grove City, as well I-270 on the south side.
ODOT District spokeswoman Nancy Burton says work begins with overnight lane closures this week on I-71 North to set the barrier walls.
The project will widen I-71 in both directions, reconfigure the interchange on I-71 South at I-270, on the south side, and build a new ramp from I-71 South to Stringtown Road.
Burton says the new ramp from I-71 South will be the same ramp that drivers take to get to I-270. Also, traffic on I-270 East will have their own dedicated exit to Stringtown Road, which is on the ramp to I-71 South.
Burton says, "We're going to clean up a lot of that for southbound in this phase of work to sort of avoid that weaving and merging for people that are specifically looking to exit at Stringtown."
The project's total cost is around $113-million, and also includes replacing five bridges on 71, between 315 and Stringtown.
All of that work is expected to be completed by the fall of 2020.
As for the major work on the "North Side Mega Fix", dealing with State Route 315, I-270 and US 23 on the north side, Burton says all of that work should be done by November of this year. That work has been ongoing for the last three years.