ODOT Provides Update on Latest Closures on I-70 Corridor

ZANESVILLE, Ohio- If you’ve driven along interstate 70 in Zanesville lately, you’ve most likely noticed the off-and-on-ramp closures, detours, construction, and increased traffic along local roads lately.

If you thought the I-70 repairs were already enough of a headache, prepare for more route detours and closures and the next phase of the reconstruction is set to begin soon.

“For phase one of construction, they’re going to be doing work in the middle of 70 and the adjacent lanes. So the median and the adjacent lanes. So what that looks like is traffic is being pushed to the outer portion of 70. So you’re going to have narrow lanes,” Morgan Overbey, public information officer with Ohio Department of Transportation District #5 stated.

This caused some frustration yesterday as locals are getting used to the traffic pattern changes and travelers being unaware. During the day there will always be two lanes open, with lane closures occurring at night. Some frustrations have arisen with the 6th Street on-ramp closing but there are safety considerations that ultimately led them to close the ramp during construction.

“So it will be closed for phase 1,2, and 3 of construction. And you might say why does it need to be closed for so long? Well it’s because it’s actually going to be unsafe for motorists to use that on-ramp because when we are moving traffic you’ve got traffic now on the outside portions of the highway and you’ve got less merge space for the 6th Street on-ramp motorists to get access to I-70 West Bound,” Overbey said.

Because of lane changes, the on-ramp from Maple Avenue onto I-70 east bound will also be closing. ODOT says traffic on local roads will increase as closures and traffic patterns keep changing drastically, and to be patient with them as the construction process is undergone.