Delaware officials briefed on Route 23 Connect study – Delaware Gazette

The Ohio Division of Transportation (ODOT) was earlier than Delaware Metropolis Council on Monday to supply an replace on the U.S. Route 23 Join planning examine not too long ago carried out and ready in Might.

ODOT carried out the examine to find out the feasibility of making a completely free-flowing connection between the Columbus and Toledo areas and centered the examine across the portion of U.S. 23 between Waldo and Interstate 270. Three key points — journey time, congestion and security — had been recognized as main focuses all through that portion.

The primary section of the examine included in depth public engagement with native leaders and residents in and across the current hall and area, together with 11 public conferences.

A complete of seven ideas, together with a no-build idea, had been developed and analyzed within the ODOT examine. Two ideas concerned new freeway connections to U.S. Route 33 to the west, three ideas concerned new freeway connections to Interstate 71 to the east, and one idea concerned upgrading the prevailing U.S. 23 as a free-flowing connection.

Finally, nevertheless, it was decided that not one of the ideas could be “cost-effective for the advantages we obtain,” ODOT District 6 Deputy Director Anthony Turowski stated throughout Monday’s presentation.

“Principally, we’re prices in extra of $1 billion and $3 billion for a number of the options,” Turowski advised council. “That’s fairly a bit out of hand. Only for context, Ohio’s yearly venture finances is simply over $2 billion a yr for the whole state. We will’t see spending all of our venture {dollars} inside one county. It’s definitely worthy of enchancment, however we couldn’t justify that expenditure at this level.”

ODOT additionally recognized substantial impacts to pure and cultural assets if any of the ideas had been pursued, together with tons of of properties and companies being displaced, in addition to impacts to parks, streams, waterways and historic areas. If new route ideas superior, ODOT projected 350-700 acres of farmland could be impacted.

As soon as it was decided that the proposed ideas wouldn’t be possible, ODOT moved the examine to a second section, which prioritizes options to enhance the movement of visitors alongside the prevailing hall. One of many main options to optimizing the movement of visitors is to protect intersections alongside the hall that at present don’t have visitors alerts.

Deliberate investments embody changing the U.S. 23 and state Route 229 intersection to an interchange, eradicating the visitors sign at U.S. 23 and Troutman Street and changing the intersection to a Restricted Crossing U-Flip (RCUT), and eliminating 5 visitors alerts between Coover Street and Pennsylvania Avenue.

Native investments recognized by Turowski embody Byxbe Parkway as an arterial connection round northeast Delaware and continued funding inside Delaware at The Level intersection, U.S. 23 ramps, and the U.S. Route 42/U.S. 23 intersection.

Attain Dillon Davis at 740-413-0904. Comply with him on Twitter @DillonDavis56.