New traffic patterns arise as I-70 construction enters phase 3

ZANESVILLE, Ohio – The I-70 construction project through Zanesville is entering a new phase with new rules of the road.

New changes to the roadmap include the closure of the Underwood Street off ramp on I-70 west, major lanes shifts for the eastbound lanes starting on Sept. 7 and the westbound lanes shifting on Sept. 14.

“We’re going to be having lane changes on the eastbound lanes through Zanesville. So, we’ll be shifting our eastbound lanes to the newly constructed outside lanes. We just want the public to be aware and expecting those lane shifts'” said Chas Cosgrave, the public information officer for the Ohio Department of Transportation’s District 5. “We will be shifting our westbound traffic into contraflow. That will look a lot like what our travelers through Zanesville are experiencing now in the eastbound lanes. It’ll be essentially what they’ve seen now kind of flipped to the westbound side as we begin reconstruction on the westbound lanes.”

This transition marks I-70 construction entering the third stage of the four stage project which is slated to reach completion in 2028.

“I know the duration of the project, you know, it’s something everybody loves to talk about but I encourage folks to go online,” Cosgrave said. “Visit us at transportation.ohio.gov/70reconstruction. Take a look at the information there. Stay informed. Sign up for our traffic and construction updates. We have a lot of information there that lets people know what to expect, what’s upcoming on the project and keeps them informed as to the phases of the work and what’s upcoming and what our residents can expect.”

The changes to I-70’s traffic patterns overlap with the Ohio State Highway Patrol’s service initiative meaning that there will be a heightened law enforcement presence to ensure safe driving.