Lane Avenue Bridge closed beginning Nov. 25

COLUMBUS – The long-awaited replacement of the Lane Avenue Bridge over the Olentangy River will begin in earnest on Monday, Nov. 25, when the bridge closes at 5 a.m. in preparation for demolition and replacement. Pedestrians will still be able to cross the river via a temporary pedestrian bridge, but vehicles will be rerouted north to cross the river at Dodridge Street.

“It will take a few weeks for drivers to find new ways to reach their destinations,” said Sarah Blouch, director of Transportation and Parking at Ohio State. “Unfortunately, that means more cars on campus, more congestion, and likely service delays for our Campus Area Bus Service (CABS). Give yourself extra time and be prepared to wait a bit.”

“The good news is that we will have a very beautiful structure with greatly improved traffic and pedestrian flows when this project is complete,” Blouch said.

The bad news, at least for campus motorists, is the pending expansion of the Woody Hayes Drive Bridge that will occur at the same time. Traffic will be maintained on the bridge as it is replaced and enlarged, but travel will be slow and motorists should expect delays on Woody Hayes Drive between Fyffe and Tuttle Park Place. The additional traffic detouring around the Lane Avenue Bridge closure will likely compound those delays.

Led by the Franklin County Engineer’s office, construction of the new bridge and the pedestrian walkway has been under way since February. Crews have constructed a temporary causeway across the river, and made visible progress on both abutment foundations and one of two tower piers. Officials agreed to wait until after the final home football game before closing the bridge.

The new Lane Avenue Bridge will replace the three-lane bridge constructed in 1918. The new 370-foot concrete structure will be cable-stayed and will feature center towers that rise 119 feet above the deck. The new bridge will accommodate six lanes of traffic and feature 12-foot-wide sidewalks on both sides. An artist’s rendering of the bridge is available on the Franklin County Engineer website http://www.fceo.co.franklin.oh.us/Projects/LaneBridge.htm

The $15.6 million project is being funded with $5 million from the federal government, $5 million from the Ohio Public Works Commission, and the remaining costs through Franklin County, the City of Columbus, and Columbus Recreation and Parks Department. The project also includes reconstruction of the intersection of Lane Avenue and Olentangy River Road.

Signs will direct motorists to detour the construction by taking Olentangy River Road north to Dodridge Street to Neil Avenue or High Street. Although the detour takes most city traffic away from campus, pedestrian and vehicular traffic is expected to be very heavy through the campus area, and especially on Woody Hayes Drive.

Campus transportation officials are advising motorists to expect significant traffic delays and allow plenty of extra time to get to campus destinations.

The current Woody Hayes Drive bridge, built in 1921, is in need of extensive structural rehabilitation. The $10 million project will also accommodate secondary projects to extend a new high-pressure streamline pipe across the bridge, and to provide ADA accessibility between the bridge and parking areas. The new design can also accommodate a bike path along the east bank of the Olentangy River without encroaching on the waterway.