by J.D. Davidson
The Ohio Department of Transportation says it needs nearly $2 billion to slow the growth of commute times and make a stretch of highway in one of the state’s fastest-growing counties safer.
Delaware County’s population has more than doubled in more than 20 years and increased by more than 15,000 people in the last three years. That growth has pushed a 23-mile area of U.S. Highway 23 north of Columbus to 30 percent over its capacity.
“This small stretch of U.S. 23 is a vital corridor for freight, and those living and working in this area depend on it – but this road is not on par with the other routes that connect our major cities and even some of our mid-sized communities,” Gov. Mike DeWine said.
The Transportation Department’s recommendations come as part of its ongoing analysis of the state’s entire transportation network in light of a growing population and increasing economic development. The study is expected to be finished by the end of the year.
The analysis says the over-capacity of traffic on the stretch between Columbus’ northern suburb of Worthington and the same town of Waldo causes regular traffic congestion and crashes. Between 2020 and 2024, nine people were killed on the highway and 72 others were seriously injured.
Also, if changes aren’t made, the average rush-hour commute is expected to grow from the current 40 minutes to 75 minutes.
The plan is to lower the number of traffic lights on the corridor from 39 to seven, widen lanes, add several interchanges, and build overpasses, which it says would cut commute times by half an hour and reduce crashes by half.
The changes would come on a rolling basis and cost about $1.4 billion to $1.9 billion.
“These recommendations along U.S. 23 from Worthington to Waldo will improve safety and congestion for residents in these communities as well as those who commute through this area,” DeWine said. “No matter what strategy the statewide study recommends on how to build a freeway between Toledo and Columbus, these U.S. 23 improvements must happen regardless.”
In 1990, only 66,929 people lived in Delaware County. That grew to 117,759 by 2020 and eventually to 231,636 in 2023.
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An Ohio native, J.D. Davidson is a veteran journalist with more than 30 years of experience in newspapers in Ohio, Georgia, Alabama and Texas. He has served as a reporter, editor, managing editor and publisher. J.D. Davidson is a regional editor for The Center Square.
Photo “Traffic Jam” by B137 CC BY-SA 4.0.
