COLUMBUS, Ohio — Two new lanes are now open on state Route 161 in Franklin County.
The heavily traveled road is now six lanes between Interstate 270 and U.S. 62 near New Albany.
The Ohio Department of Transportation said traffic has increased 21% in the last 10 years on that six-mile stretch of road, adding around 17,000 vehicles a day.
“It’s important for safety of motorists, for people who commute to work and safety for people that live here that we have the infrastructure,” said Gov. Mike DeWine at the announcement on Friday morning.
The widening project will hopefully help stop crashes in the area.
ODOT data shows there have been 534 crashes in that portion of Route 161. Now with more room, those crashes are expected to decrease.
But the widening project isn’t just about safety. The project is also the result of growth in central Ohio. With several major technology companies investing in the area, including Intel and Microsoft.
“We are having significant growth in central Ohio. We expect it to continue for decades ahead. It’s the fastest growing area in the state,” DeWine said.
DeWine said the state has to prepare for that growth, because it has no plans of slowing down.
“Ohio can only grow if the infrastructure keeps up with the growth. Frankly, we try to get ahead of that growth,” DeWine said.
The work isn’t done on Route 161. ODOT has plans to finish the final paving in the spring and add sound barriers for neighbors.
They also have plans to possibly widen more parts of the highway in the future.
“In this project we are looking at widening 161 to Newark. Those projects are in development as we speak. We are also building roundabouts in key areas,” said Toni Turowski, deputy director district 6 ODOT.