I-270 Columbus North Central Outerbelt Study >> Public Involvement Plan >> Public Comments

Public Comments on Recommendations

"I feel that more needs to be done to speed up the traffic flow on 23 north of the outerbelt. It is horrible during rush hour and somewhat acceptable at other times. You can only expect the traffic to become much heavier on 23 as the construction and growth rate in Delaware County continues at tremendous speeds..." Commuter (6/20/04)

"I think when 315 comes onto 270-EB there should be 3 lanes coming off of 315. One for 23 south, One for 23 north and one for 270 east. 270 east lane should not come onto 270 until after 23 where both the traffic off of 315 and 23 merge onto 270.  Exiting off of 270 EB onto 23 SB there should be constructed a bridge to pass over these 3 lanes and merge with the 315 to 23s lane." Art Andre (6/18/04)

"ODOT might consider a brand new access road running from the Camp Mary Orton entrance on Route 23, along Route 23 southward to the Woods entrance at Campus View, into the Woods area, and southwestward to a new access ramp for the Woods onto I-270, with a return lane back again from I-270 thru the Woods to Route 23 at the Mary Orton entrance." Commuter (6/22/04)

"The recommendations show reasonable thought process and I definitely agree that something needs to be done with the 315/270/23 intersection. This is a serious travel hazard!!!Thank you for researching and preparing to make changes to improve the situation." Commuter (6/21/04)

"I like these recommendations because they don't require a lot of eminent domain seizures. Most of the land appears to be easement. I like the idea of eliminating clover leafs. Long, swooping on/off ramps speed traffic flow through an interchange." Commuter (6/14/04)

"Recommendations seem reasonable. US 23 above or below grade NB expressway limits are difficult to understand without a sketch or schematic drawing." Stephen Ruane, Westerville (6/11/04)

"It appears that ODOT has taken into consideration the environmental impact of water run off at Camp Mary Orton although I do not see anything that leads me to believe there will be available access to the Camp from 23 North. As a supporter of CMO and the Godman Guild, I am fully aware of the programs offered and the thousands of travelers who will need access to CMO from 23 if heading north, not to mention the countless volunteers who provide time, material and labor at CMO. I urge you to include access to CMO in your final plans." Cindy Hackney (6/11/04)

"Meeting was very factual with recommendations being well laid out. Questions were answered on the spot. Overall, recommendations look good. Major safety issues have been addressed, though emergency vehicle access may still be a problem. Hope the projects progress & do not get bogged down & never happen, i.e. Dublin-Granville (SR 161) widening." Rich Herner (6/10/04)

"I go out of my way to avoid north 270 corridor after 4pm in either direction because of the potential for major traffic issues. I know I am not saying anything new here, but just wanted to add one more voice. even though there are seemingly enough lanes, once traffic backup starts in the 315-23-270 section frustrated drivers do stupid things which cause accidents which then completely choke the highway. It seems there is always an accident in this area during rush hour. Devising a way to free up the offloading of cars onto 23 north and 71 north will help this situation greatly. Taking that step will reduce the backup, which will reduce the frustration and then the stupid/hazardous driving... reducing accidents resulting in a much better driving experience through this corridor." Local Resident (6/04/04)

"The main issue is the ease of getting on and off the highway. If you improve the ability of people to get on and off at 23, 315, and 71, it will reduce the accidents and improve traffic flow. The creation of some through lanes in the center would help get all the fast moving traffic away from the backups, and help reduce accidents as well." Commuter (6/03/04)

"The way the 315N-270E ramp intersects the 270E-23 ramp makes that a dangerous section of roadway. It's difficult to get from 270 to 23 during rush hour. The resulting stopped traffic on 270 is common and dangerous. The right lane is stopped, the next-to-right lane is slow, but the left lane is still going 80MPH. It's scary over there." Commuter (6/02/04)

"A BIG BIG improvement would be alternate routes North. In fact, alternate routes that can handle traffic and keep traffic flowing would be nice. If any major road in Columbus is closed or slowed due to traffic, there are NO viable alternate routes. A few major cross town boulevards would even be helpful. Columbus needs to look at improving its internal street layout to help ease this problem. Most other major cities have major thoroughfares that can be used to move across town without the need to get onto an interstate."  Commuter (5/24/04)

"The confluence of Worthington-Galena, Wilson Bridge, Huntley, Lakeview and Sancus roads at the I-270 underpass is a major contributor to the overall congestion/traffic flow issues that bubbles back to I-270 at U.S. 23. Whatever the total solution is you must consider this challenge." Bob Beasely, Columbus (5/18/04)

"I feel the biggest problem is created because 270E traffic attempting to go 23N has to wait on 23S traffic attempting to go 270E. If traffic could be rearranged so these two types of traffic didn't have to merge with each other that would solve a big problem. The next problem is 270 traffic attempting to go 23N. The light at Campus View and 23 causes a backup in all directions. If 270 traffic had the ability to bypass the Campus View light that may also help the problem." Worthington Resident (5/12/04)

"Please get exiting traffic off the highway. Limit the access of merging-on traffic. Get rid of shared on-off merges. Of all of the interstates in Ohio I drive on, I am most afraid of that stretch of I-270." Luckey Haskins, Columbus (5/05/04)

"I hated the circa one hour commute from work each morning when you were updating NE 270 a few years ago, but I didn't mind because the results were fantastic. I would hope that you rework the exchanges at 71, 23 & 315, in hopes of clearing up that traffic a bit...and no, I wouldn't mind delays, so long as the end result was worthwhile." Jason, Westerville (5/03/04)

"The main issue is the merging NB315 traffic onto EB 270 where the 270EB traffic is trying to merge to get off at US23... then the merge of US 23NB with the 270 WB drivers getting off 23NB. All the other directions are fine." Amy Kramb, Dublin (4/16/04) 

"Need to segregate thru traffic from 315/23/270 access.  Lane changing between slow and fast lanes causes general slowdowns and potential accidents" Robert Bosely, Columbus (4/09/04)

"Eliminate criss-crossing to get on and off. Provide better signage to direct through traffic to the left lanes. Some way try to enforce proper use of the traffic lanes." Ken Ohler, Mansfield (2/17/04)

"I am looking forward improving these interchanges. One of the big problems with them is the merging traffic crossing with the exiting especially at 315 crossing with the exiting 270 going into 23. I think this new improvement should take into account is the development of Powell and the added traffic from the new mall." Omar Abu-Hajar, Dublin (2/17/04)

"The improvements to date have been a real help. The merge from I-315 N to 270 E and from 270W to 23 N need some help, too much congestion. The get on from 23 S to 270 W is also dangerous due to the number of cars crossing lanes, in my opinion. I am happy to hear that ODOT is at least talking about making some changes and I thank you for the opportunity to voice some concerns." Paul Braun, Dublin (2/11/04)

"When traveling on I-270, the section from 315 to I-71 is an area I dread because of the congestion. The traffic conditions make it very difficult to access the Polaris area for business meetings or personal entertainment/shopping. It is also difficult to access 315 which is the route I use to get downtown for personal obligations or entertainment. Since being involved in an accident on 23N when traffic came to a sudden stop (likely due to the constant stream of oncoming traffic from 270 that seeks to move out of the right lane), I will not go to that area again. Surely people avoiding these areas hurts local businesses." Tina Wray, Dublin (2/10/04)

"315 n to 270e double crossover with 270e to 23 n and s. also 71s to 270e dose not have a safe distance for the 270e traffic to exit to 71n because of another double crossover." Joe Courter, Columbus (1/31/04)

"I am considering moving in order to avoid the US-23/I-270/SR 315 interchange." Kent Adkins, Westerville (1/28/04)

"The reason I rarely use the North Central Outerbelt is because I'm able to avoid it (and the West Outerbelt) by traveling south on Rome-Hilliard Rd and using I-70, I-670 and I-71. My commute time is approximately the same (despite greater distance), but less susceptible to congestion delays." Steve Newman, Hilliard (1/28/04)

"I am concerned with the drivers who I see everyday going over 80 mph. This also includes some wild driving and driving speed of young motorcyclists. There should be more and harsher penalties for careless and reckless endangerment." Business Owner, Gahanna (1/26/04) 

"Many of the entrance/exit ramps need to be reworked. In some congested areas the standard "cloverleaf" is no longer sufficient. Additional ramps and bridges should be built. Spend the money and design them properly, paying special attention to future growth. Highway construction and maintenance is one of the few areas where the government should should spend money." Philip Poinsatte, Brunswick, OH (1/07/04)

The right lanes on NB 315 are horrible in the evening commute and cause many delays. The merge to EB 270 around 23 is so dangerous that I try to avoid it at all costs. We need more room to merge. The same can be said for the ramp from EB 270 to 71 N. The shuffling of cars entering and exiting 270 is very dangerous." (1/02/04)

"My worst problem area is I-270 & US 23 interchange." Paul Junk (12/29/03)

"Mornings I travel East on I-270 from Sawmill and get off at the Rt. 23 exit just past the Rt. 315 interchange. This is a major problem area with people exiting I-270 having to merge with other traffic entering I-270 from Rt. 315. Evenings I go west on I-270 from Rt. 23 and often have trouble getting over to the left before the Rt. 315 interchange. I recommend you watch this area closely and record with video to study rush hour traffic issues. Should make easier to see patterns over many days and you'll see what I'm talking about." Gregory Hoffman, Dublin (12/05/03)

"Small improvements can make a big difference. For example, by reducing from 2 lanes to 1 lane, the ramp from 71 NB to 270 WB, the merge from 71 SB to 270 WB is eliminated. Much more traffic enters 270 WB from 71 SB than from 71 NB." Westerville (12/02/03)

"I travel 270 East to 23 North and then 23 South to 270 West for work. I have already had one car totaled, having been hit from behind. You have to be very aggressive getting on/off 270 from 23 - I do not believe this is safe for anyone. In fact, I have changed my working hours just to avoid the rush hour traffic in that area (work 10am to 7pm)." Jill Shaw, Columbus (12/01/03)

"I drive home from OSU on SR315 each day and join the line of cars exiting off 315 to the 23N exit. The merger of cars leaving 270 to take 23 (N or S) and cars trying to merge from the 315 exit onto 270 is chaotic at best and often dangerous. Frustrated drivers are the 23N exitoften seen driving around the bottleneck only to cut in line for the 23N exit. That serves to back up (and tighten) the line of cars in the left lane trying to get onto 23N. Add the cars exiting the high speed traffic of 270W onto 23N and you have all the conditions for an accident. Widening 270 was great, but a more graceful merger of these critical junctures is needed." Westerville (11/29/03)

"It just seems that it was poorly designed - too many people trying to merge in different directions at once. You have drivers trying to merge onto a major freeway, while at the same time you have traffic trying to get off at a major exit. To add to the issue any time 23 or 71 is backed up this affects 270 which then affects 315. It's a domino affect. I don't know how to fix this (maybe a similar setup to the Easton ramp?) but I'm sure you have some smart people who do. The bottom line is that this issue needs to be addressed soon. That area is expanding way too fast to ignore it for another 5 years. Thank you for your time and concern." Kelly Beres, Westerville (11/26/03)

"I think a large contributor to the problem is Route 23. The traffic on that road backs up and affects the 315/270/23 interchange. That area in particular has too many people trying to do too many different things." (11/26/03)

"23 North seems to be the biggest problem. Traffic on 315 gets backed up past 161 because flow onto 23 north is terrible. It doesn't help any that drivers are also trying to get on and off 270 at the same ramp for 23 north that 315 uses." (11/26/03)

"I don't feel safe while diving up north and it seems they try to run you off the road if your not doing over 70 mph." (11/24/03)

"The backup of traffic from US 23 North on to the exit lane from I-270 East is an extremely dangerous situation. As for sheer gridlock, last Friday (the 21st of November) congestion on 23 North had traffic stopped on 315 North a mile south of 161." Lee Baker, Westerville (11/24/03)

"The backup and congestion that occurs on the 315NB -> 270EB Ramp is by far the biggest problem. The on ramp from 315 to 270 and the off ramps from 270 to 23 are too close and almost always cause delays." (11/24/03)

"The stop lights just north of 270 on Route 23 (College Ave) are a large part of the problems with the I270/23 interchange. Maybe a change there could help." (11/24/03)

"Congestion on 315 NB to get on 270 EB in the evening is unbelievable. I have to get in the far left lane of 315 NB, then switch lanes to the right, so I can exit the ramp to 270 WB to go to Dublin." Columbus (11/10/03)

"Elimination of cross merging would solve or greatly alleviate the problems. The cross traffic at 270 E between 315 and 23 in both the morning and evening rush is terrible. As I’m sure you are aware, there are accidents there nearly every week. The extreme congestion produces impatience. The impatience produces rude and dangerous driving such as people stopped in the center travel lanes of 270 waiting to get in cutting off folks that have been waiting in line. I think by adding in a bridge would help tremendously." Doug Schaefer, Columbus (10/31/03) 

"Some of the problems on 270 in general could be improved by driver education and instruction on how drivers are supposed to merge on the "zippers" - not slamming breaks at the start of the merge (especially when you have the right of way) but rather matching speeds and merging at the middle / end of the merge then maintaining speeds as much as possible to clear the merge. A pet peeve of mine. This is why many people will come to these merges in the left through lane and then cut across to enter because others are not efficiently merging and are backing up the exit." Jay Perkins, Pickerington (10/30/03)

"Traffic from northbound 315 to east bound 270 is a serious bottleneck in the afternoon and I personally look for other routes to get home to avoid a very dangerous section of east 270. Hope you can figure a way to make it safe." (10/05/03)

"I-270 is used by many out of town travelers, who are unfamiliar with the area. Many of the overhead signs, particularly in the EB direction are misaligned (arrows over lanes) or lacking advance signing. This would help reduce the number of times unfamiliar drivers attempt to cross many lanes or find themselves in a drop lane at the last minute." (9/29/03)

"Cloverleaf exit jams at I-270/I-71 Interchange during busy times are my biggest headache, followed by I-270/US23/SR315 "weave" area problems." (9/16/03)

"I have been traveling I-270 ever since it was opened. The biggest problem I have is getting from S.R. 315 North to I-270E and from I-270W to S.R. 315 South. Having to merge at the same point where other traffic is trying to get on or off the interstate is just horrible. A lot of the times I am pulling a trailer and trying to accelerate up the hill and merge into high speed traffic can be challenging. If a better design could be achieved, I think it would make a great improvement." (9/10/03)

"Clover leaf interchanges DON'T work; get rid of them" (9/09/03)

"I-270 EB to US 23 North and I-270 EB to I-71 NB are the 2 most critical traffic flow issues. Need new ramps. Third one is I-270 WB to SR 315." (9/05/03)

"I try to avoid heavy volume times, otherwise I would drive 270 more often. Safety and speed issues." (/04/03)

"I believe that the outerbelt could use refinement in the area of 270 east bound from 315 to 71 also to include an easier way to get to 23 north. The biggest problem that I see is commuters going north on 23, and the population increase north of Columbus in the southern part of Delaware Co. is a growing concern. A long term solution to the traffic problems here is greatly needed." (9/03/03)

"I concur - the interchanges need attention! They are outdated and scary. I am most concerned about how close the US 23 & SR 315 exits/entrance ramps from/to I-270 are to each other. I also would like to see traffic signals removed on US 23 & it made into a limited access highway (north of I-270). There are TO MANY driveways off of US 23." (9/02/03)

"Fortunately I commute earlier and in the opposite direction to the main traffic problems on 270. But the number of times each week that the eastbound traffic is at a standstill at 4-4:30p is amazing once or twice a week and sometimes the backup also merges with the problems east of S.R. 3 to make a 7 mile backup at times. Though hopefully once the 161/270 interchange will be completed the backups in Westerville will be eliminated" Matt Roberts, Powell (8/25/03)

"Recently completed projects on SR 315 and I 270 have helped congestion somewhat but drivers don't always seem to know how to use the widened roads. Have you considered an education program to tell drivers how to best use the roads we have? Also, backups from the Polaris Parkway exit seem to frequently cause congestion on I-270 so that should be included in your study as well." Dorothy Adams, Westerville (8/25/03)

"The length of weaving zones is too short on eastbound 270 in two locations:1) 315 N to 270E/270 E to 23, 2) 270 E to 23N and 23S to 270 E." Steven Sheid, Columbus (8/25/03)

"The biggest problem is the Route 23 interchange. Also the I-71 north entrance from EB 270 is a major bottleneck. Both interchanges need addressed." (8/22/03)

"I am a student at Columbus State Community College in the Construction Management Program and the I-270 interchange is one of our key examples of antiquated systems. The traffic flow in the area is too high for the roadway systems that have existed since the 60's. It is very exciting in out department to see that ODOT is trying to resolve the problem." Kenneth Fedor, Columbus (8/21/03)

"For two major highways, the 270e - 71n merge and 71s - 270e merge is much too small. Even during bad times, that's not the major backup. The largest backup I have ever seen occurs daily at 315n - 270e - 23n. If anything, a new off ramp needs to be built directly from 315 to 23 and skip 270 all together." (8/20/03)

"The problem that I see going eastbound at I-71 is that you almost lose the right two lanes of traffic because the far right is slowing down to get off and avoid vehicles entering I-270 eastbound and the lane next to it has to act as an outlet for the far right lane as it gets congested. So at rush hour, only the left two lanes can run at full speed at the interchange." Douglas Groetzinger, Columbus (8/20/03)

Suggestions

"Add metering lights to enter I-270 East from 23 South to improve traffic flow on 270 East and 315 north." Doug Muscillo, Upper Arlington (5/26/04)

"I like the design changes I have seen." Larry Hill, Columbus (5/22/04)

"Widen the stretch of 315 N. between Worthington Hills and Delaware, or create a bypass ramp that would start in Mt. Air and reconnect with 315 N. north of Powell road to allow through traffic to continue without causing delays of 30 minutes or more." Josh Schooley, Delaware (5/19/04)

"US 23 should be converted into a limited access freeway from Worthington Mall to Polaris parkway. The cloverleafs should be eliminated. There should be a separate ramp for 315N to get to 270E w/out having to worry about cars exiting for 23 cutting them off. 23S to 270E and 270W to 23N ramps need to be separated. Temporary fixes could be erecting signs before the 315 S exit that states something like, 'Heavy Merge Ahead. Thru traffic use left two lanes.'" Clintonville Resident (5/18/04)

"I have looked at your proposed plans and believe they are great. The EB 270 to NB23 looks similar to the Sawmill rd exit on 270. That exit works great and would be a good improvement to the 23 /270 area." Nathan Fastinger, Worthington (5/14/04)

"I think the Bethel-Morse connector would both reduce traffic on the outerbelt and provide an alternative when I-270 has disrupted traffic; I also realize it won't be part of this study!" Luke Nutter, Johnstown (3/11/04)

"Make use of some type of flyover, bridge etc that would allow the northbound 315 vehicles to enter 270 e in their own lane so they don't interfere with the vehicles exiting to Rt. 23. Improve the flow on 23 N. to keep the ramp from getting backed up on 270 in the first place." Westerville (2/05/04).

"Making the interchange larger is NOT the solution. I 73 needs to be built to remove traffic from US 23." John Provanzana, Columbus (2/03/04)

"The problem with the outer belt and most of the interstates in and around Columbus is that there are too many vehicles. This is plain and simple. The solution is not to re-route traffic or add a "third lane", it's to reduce the amount of cars. The way to do this is by encouraging public and/or mass transit. The most effective way is by train. There are many benefits of this. Such as, reducing the current and most important problem, traffic, reduce air pollution and reduce cost and time to the drivers. We just can't keep adding highway after highway." Scott Zagorski, Dublin (1/26/04) 

"Has anyone looked at having south bound 23 traffic enter 270 east by making a left turn instead of doing the loop as it is now. I would think this would help traffic getting off route 270, to both 23 south and north since traffic taking 23 north from both 270 and 315 would have less to compete with traffic wise." (1/25/04)

"Move the truck weigh station farther North so trucks will not use Rt. 23 to avoid the weigh station." Herb Crites, Columbus (1/18/03)

"Flint Road and South Old State Road should be directly connected together into one northeast-southwest roadway, if possible. Congestion on Route 750/Polaris Parkway might even be helped." John Butsko, Delaware (12/29/03)

"I would like to see a new interchange at I-71 & I-270 on the north side similar to the one at I-77 & I-480 or I-77 & I-490 in Cleveland. These provide for optimal traffic flow on those congested interchanges. One of the biggest challenges when driving I-270 is trying to get to I-71N from I-270W or from I-71S to I-270E on those circular ramps. What a slowdown!!! As far as easing access to Routes 23 & 315 maybe a similar setup like on I-270S at East Broad & Main Sts would be useful. Put all of that traffic on the other side of a wall from the rest of the highway thru traffic." Stan Coffman of Columbus (12/13/03)

"The lane merging onto 270 eastbound from 315 northbound on the northern edge of Worthington combined with the lanes merging from 270 eastbound to the Delaware/Worthington exit east of 315 creates one of the scariest merging areas imaginable, considering the crowded traffic going at high speeds trying to merge and change lanes at rush hours. Something should be done to remove this congestion and eliminate these rush-hour hazards. Maybe some kind of overhead bridge over 270 with lanes that go directly to and from 315 and 23 would help." John Butsko, Delaware (11/25/03)

"Get rid of the 1 lane clover leafs for I-71 and US-23 exits (off I-270). How about multi-lane swooping ramps? Improve 315 north to I-270 east interchange. Campus View and US-23 is a big bottleneck and causes problems and safety concerns for me heading north on 315." Chris Wamsley, New Albany (11/24/03)

"It would be nice if the 270 people exiting at 23 could exit from the left leaving the right for entrance to 270 from 315. Of course that only takes money. Hover cars may be the only answer. Good luck and thanks for asking." Mark Foor, Westerville (11/24/03)

"Treat SR315 and USR23 interchanges as a single large interchange with I-270 thus eliminating the weaving that occurs between SR315 and USR23. Use service road type connections between SR315 and US23." Walt Roehrs, Columbus (11/14/03)

"Maybe 315 could be improved, and connect with 23 a bit further south, maybe Lewis Center??" (11/08/03)

"Too many cell phones & too big a hurry. PUT up lighted speed signs and change the speeds as required by traffic or post officers in lookout above the center to issue commands to patrols driving on the road only slows traffic near a patrol car." Dave Caterina, Johnstown (11/03/03)

"A dedicated ramp from 270 eastbound onto 71 north and another onto 23 north which would not merge with incoming 270 eastbound traffic would be a huge improvement (especially for 71n). 23 northbound would also benefit from a dedicated overpass but most important is that interstate traffic and regional traffic is mixed with local stop and go traffic on 23. This is long term failure. A new interstate spur should prevent trucks and long distance traffic from using 23 by going up 71 and then over to 23 north of Delaware." Gregg Davis, Powell (10/31/03)

"An expensive viaduct should be constructed to eliminate the merge of 315 north traffic to 270 East. This is the biggest joke Ohio's interstate system next to the downtown split of 70/71. Please study and act quickly." Michael Wright of Reynoldsburg (10/26/03)

"The problem with the 270/315/23 interstate is traffic flow because of dangerous patterns. Constantly drivers are cris-crossing multiple lanes and the pattern give the driver’s ability to jump ahead of other drivers. Lane restrictions need to put in place to control multiple lane changes. Maybe lanes barriers and dedicated lanes for ramps need to be developed." Charles Sankey, Westerville (10/16/03)

"Inefficient use of the pavement for NB 315 to SB 23. Lane has very little traffic in it every night. Since improvements to 270 traffic arrives at this location much faster causing a "bottle neck" the flow is no longer metered by the freeway. The flow needs to be metered or the neck of the bottle needs to be widened to accommodate the traffic." Mark Mann, Lewis Center (10/14/03)

"1) Create I-270 by-pass lanes around SR315 & US23 Interchanges. It is a very dangerous choke-point. 2) Improve North Sawmill Road traffic flow so traffic does not back-up onto I270 and cause traffic blockage of the I270 and Sawmill Road 'Center Point" intersection." Jan Stephenson, Columbus

"About 4-5 years ago, the I-271 outerbelt on the east side of Cleveland underwent a major design overhaul resulting in 2 "thru-traffic" lanes & 2 or 3 "local exit" lanes in each direction from I-480 to I-90. Although some foresight was given to the increase in traffic volume across the I-270 North Outerbelt, a more efficient and complete relief of traffic snags and snarls could have been achieved if a similar design would have been implemented in the widening of I-270 a couple of years ago." Powell (10/02/03)

"The 315/270/23 Interchange needs to be redesigned. 315 dumps way too much traffic (2 lanes) into 270's exit path for traffic flow to be continuous. People exiting 315 to 270e are required to get over sometimes 2-3 lanes, while 270 travelers are required to traverse 2-3 lanes to exit to 23. At minimum there needs to be a straight through lane for 315 exiters." (9/29/03)

"270's current signage is from the 70/80's when it was a "true outerbelt" with less traffic, and lower speeds(55mph). Short or long term improvements:  Update signage by increasing distances between signs and exits, add signs that designate lanes for 270/23/315; 270/71/Cleveland Ave; 270/Rt3; 270/161. Add "X miles to exit" signs - not just "270 to Cleveland/Wheeling" (Example:Rt 3-5 miles, 161-6.5 miles, Easton-7 miles). In high accident areas decrease 270 speeds (270/315/23 - 270/71 - 270 between 3/161). Designate 270N/E to 23 exit lane as "this lane only." Convert right hand lane of 270 N/E under 23 bridge to an additional lane for 315 traffic to 270 - thereby combining the 315/23 entrance ramps to 270N/E to 1 entrance with 3 lanes. The longer distance between 23/71, will allow traffic enough space to merge onto 270, change lanes with less chance of rear-end collisions and a decrease in 270/315/23 backups." Allan Finnical (9/28/03)

"Although the recent addition of 2 'thru-traffic' lanes improved some traffic flow, the creation of 'local' exits for 315, 23 & I-71 separate from the 'thru-traffic' flow would eliminate much of the merging congestion, accidents & problems. (i.e. I-270 @ Main St., Broad St. & I-70 on east side)." (9/25/03)

"I-270 has greatly improved since it widening but that project didn't do much to improve nor upgrade the old fashioned weaving exit on/off interchanges ... Temporary solution would be to create signage, mark & designate some right hand lanes as dedicated for entrance and exits only. Have through I-270 traffic get in left three lanes. In addition add concrete barriers or plastic poles/cones." David Roseman, Columbus (9/24/03)

"Having to merge over 3 lanes to get onto 270 eastbound from 315 north is HAZARDOUS! The interchange should be redesigned to allow direct access to 270 from 315." (9/24/03)

"I-270/315/23 & I-270/I-71 should have a separate merging lane separated by barriers to allow I-270 traffic to continue in 3-4 lanes unobstructed. Next, blow up the 23 bridge and start over to better improve traffic flow (I don't know how it's possible with the Campus View intersection just north of it. You only have to try to go N on Sawmill from 270 to see that design isn't right.)" Chris Mampe (9/23/03)

"There should be lanes coming from SR-315 North that go over or somehow bypass US-23 traffic to ease congestion. Both on-ramps from SR-315 North to I-270 East should not exit to US-23." Keith Vincent, Columbus (9/20/03)

"Traffic congestion and accidents as a result of weaving between the two closely-spaced interchanges was already a problem back in the late-1980's. This can be eliminated by braiding the SR315 ramps under or over the US23 ramps (similar in concept to the braided ramps between Morse Road and Easton on IH270). However, ramp spurs must be added to the SR315 ramps to allow access to/from US23. At the US23 interchange itself, I don't believe the Single Point Urban Interchange concept would work as well as it does at Sawmill because overall volumes are higher and opposing turning movements are unbalanced." Jeff Neal, Grand Prairie, Tx. (9/19/03)

"Make an express lane(s) that allows cars who don't need off 270 at 315, 23 and 71 to bypass that traffic." (9/19/03)

"The 315, 23, 71 interchanges are old-fashioned cloverleaf styles, they don't work properly. The interchanges need to be updated to eliminate the overlap of people trying to get on/off at the same spot. Also 23 north of 270 is a mess and that interchange will not improve until 23 improves. Only hope for 23 would be over passes at major intersections and service roads. ODOT should have seen this mess long ago and stopped it by making what is a highway stay a highway and controlling access." (9/19/03)

"I think that a new Interchange needs to be built to take the pressure off of the current ones. I think that one could be built at Sancus Road and I 270, that would service the Polaris area, which is the major traffic problem. Also making Ohio 315 4 lanes from I 270 till it ends at Us 23, will help solve many of the traffic flow problems. I think the biggest problem is the outdated interchanges, having cars and trucks weave in and out of each other is very dangerous. That is a major problem, that causes many accidents." (9/18/03)

"City of Worthington could have the best economy by just writing tickets for the reckless driving in the area. Re-lay out the the traffic pattern and reduce the lanes to restrict the diving and weaving of the uncontrollable poor drivers." Charles Sankey, Westerville (9/16/03)

"315/23 directional interchange with CD roads and overhead causeway down center of US 23 north. Lots of money though." Mike Siffer, Sylvania (9/10/03)

"I think the interchange at Dublin (270 / sawmill rd) could work at 23 north 270. As far as Crosswoods if you could add a lane from Wilson bridge all the way up to the Huntington bank." (9/09/03)

"Widen SR 315 all the way to Delaware. This would lessen the traffic getting off of 315 to get on 23 to go to Delaware. Also, it would be a good idea to create express lanes to go thru the area." (9/09/03)

"Why don't you break 315 and 23 into an EASTON type of thing where you get onto its own two lanes That can go through to 270 East or can exit onto 315 or 23 or 71. The biggest problem is merging with the traffic on 270 east already when coming from 315 north. If they had to pass the 23 exit it would be a lot more safe for the drivers." Jeff Fastinger, Lewis Center (9/09/03)

"Why was there not a lane designated for traffic traveling on 270 that does not want to exit at any of 315, 23, or 71. A single lane that was boxed in with walls on each side would allow those passing through to avoid all three exits?" (9/02/03)

"Has consideration been given to a layer of ramps, especially if land is a problem. Additionally, having traffic lights as traffic emerges off the current ramps adds to the problems. Something has to be done to allow traffic to move away from the ramps on exiting." George Anderson, Columbus (8/29/03)

"Could the on/off ramps at I-270 and Rt. 23 be reconfigured to be like the ones at Sawmill Road and I-270?" Martha Filipic, Columbus (8/21/03)

"The evening rush hour congestion heading 270 East extends to 161 on the east side of the city. It does not simply end at Cleveland Ave as your study suggests. The 4 to 3 lane reduction, combined with congestion at 161, probably backs up all the way to Dublin. You know the traffic completely stops here at this NE curve. In fact, this seems to be the worst spot in the morning also, as the traffic completely stops in all lanes around 8 am, although it does not stop completely anywhere else heading east across the corridor. The fact that 4 lanes goes to 3 lanes between Westerville Rd and 161 is most of the problem. Why not extend the lost lane (just 2 miles!!!) to get past 161." Mike Denburg, Blacklick (8/21/03)

"IR 270 operates well during non-peak periods and periods when it is accident free. Perhaps offering incentives to adjacent businesses that provide flex hours could help the interchanges. In addition, eliminating the weaves at IR 270/US 23/SR 315 and IR 71/IR 270 could increase the capacity of the interchanges and reduce congestion on the facility." (8/21/03)

"I have believed for a long time that all 3 crossover exits (4 if you include SR161) should be changed to ramps that allow the onramp to go over top of the offramp. There is no reason for this traffic to have to merge through each other. If one went over the other one, neither one should have to slow down, especially if the lanes continue and don't have to merge when they reach the exit road. It should be one continuous lane ... By the way, I do really like the new Sawmill Rd exit. It flows very nicely, but won't work well on these other exits." Kevin Hill, Hilliard (8/20/03)

"I feel if you detour semi-trucks to another by-pass of 270, their would like accidents, which about 3/4 years ago there was a planning committee to add another by-pass for semi-trucks only and I think that would eliminate our traffic congestion, that us daily commuters experience everyday." Mary Miller, Columbus (8/20/03)

"I think some sort of express lanes allowing through traffic by the 23/315 interchange would help not only the through traffic congestion but allow users of the exit room to cross lanes. The exit at 23 should be transformed like the Sawmill Interchange" Brian Palmer, Marysville (8/20/03)

"Every evening there are near misses in the weave area between 315 and 23 westbound on 270. I am lucky to not be in the congestion eastbound in the evening. Improvements to the 270/71 interchange and 270/161 (New Albany) interchange would greatly improve flow on the eastbound side of 270 in the evening" Dennis Perkins, Powell (8/20/03)