Transportation officials today officially opened the completed I-670 project to the public. The 30 year old highway, nicknamed "spaghetti junction", finished a month ahead of schedule.Thurber Village resident Charles Lindaberry has a clear view of Interstate 670 from his balcony...Lindaberry says special glass in the Westminster Thurber building kept much of the construction noise out.
The 57 million dollar I-670 project began in April 2002---Ohio Department of Transportation offiicials promised the project would be complete in 18 months... ODOT director Gordon Proctor says they accelerated the construction. Proctor estimates 30 percent of the traffic on interstates 70 and 71 will immediately divert to 670.
21 bridges, 10 ramps and 2 miles of highway were either re built or reconstructed. And a new cap on High Street was designed to connect the Short North and downtown. The Spring-Sandusky Interchange---which connects I-670, state route 315 and u.s. route 33---is also complete. That project was supposed to start in the 70's but lack of money and environmental issues stalled the construction---the total project carried a 225 million dollar price tag.
Governor Bob Taft says the rebuilding the bottle neck at I 70 and I71 is the next big transportation project the city faces.