Westside bridge repair completed ahead of schedule: reopens Tuesday
Less than three weeks since a tanker carrying 8,000 gallons of ethanol crashed and caught fire causing structural damage to a freeway bridge on the city’s west side, things are about to return to normal. ODOT says that the repaired bridge (a portion of I-70E above I-270) will reopen Tuesday morning at 6am. The construction company had been offered a financial incentive for each day that they completed the project under the thirty day estimate. This means that they will receive an additional $240,000 above the cost of the repair. The federal government has kicked in $1 million towards those repair costs. (jj)
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Previous: After the ethanol tanker: navigating I-70 / I-270 on the westside 7/1/15
Folks who travel the freeways on the city’s westside had themselves a commute on Wednesday that they will not soon forget. The ethanol tanker that rolled and burned on I-270 beneath I-70 did a heck of a number on the overpass and ODOT says that it will be at least thirty days until all repairs are made. (Those repairs, by the way, will cost at least $1 million.) In the meantime, here’s what you can expect:
- I-270 is open, but drivers should expect serious delays, especially during rush hour. ODOT recommends giving yourself PLENTY of extra time if you must travel through this area.
- Workers have put in place a crossover lane for I-70E. Drivers will use the lane to cross over the median near the Hilliard-Rome Road exit, returning back to the normal side of the median near the Wilson Road exit.
In addition, the following ramps will be closed during the reconstruction phase:
- I-70 east to I-270 north
- I-270 north to I-70 west
Good luck. (jj)
Previous: Ethanol tanker crash and burn: I-70 closed on westside 7/1/15
A tanker truck carrying 8,000 gallons of ethanol crashed and caught fire around 6am Wednesday on the city’s Westside. The incident occurred when the truck rolled over on 270-S beneath I-70. Fire crews took about an hour to extinguish the blaze. 270 has since reopened, but I-70 in both directions remains closed between Hilliard-Rome and Wilson Roads. Engineers will need to examine the overpass which reportedly suffered structural damage from the intense heat of the fire.
Columbus Police report that the driver of the truck was cited for failure to control & transporting a hazardous load in city limits. He suffered a shoulder injury & bruised ribs in the accident.
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