Interstate 670 (I-670) is an

Interstate Highway The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly known as the Interstate Highway System, is a network of controlled-access highways that forms part of the National Highway System in the United States. T ...

in the US state of

Ohio Ohio () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Of the List of states and territories of the United States, fifty U.S. states, it is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 34th-l ...

that passes through

Columbus Columbus is a Latinized version of the Italian surname "''Colombo''". It most commonly refers to: * Christopher Columbus (1451-1506), the Italian explorer * Columbus, Ohio, capital of the U.S. state of Ohio Columbus may also refer to: Places ...

connecting

I-70 Interstate 70 (I-70) is a major east–west Interstate Highway in the United States that runs from I-15 near Cove Fort, Utah, to a park and ride lot just east of I-695 in Baltimore, Maryland, and is the fifth-longest Interstate in the co ...

west of Downtown Columbus with

I-270 I-270 may refer to: * Interstate 270 (disambiguation), one of several highways * Mikoyan-Gurevich I-270, a cancelled Soviet interceptor aircraft {{disambiguation ...

and U.S. Route 62 (US 62) near the eastern suburb of

Gahanna Gahanna ( ) is a city situated in northeast Franklin County, Ohio, United States. It is a suburb of Columbus. The population was 35,726 at the 2020 census. It was founded in 1849. History Gahanna was founded along the Big Walnut Creek in 184 ...

. I-670 provides access to

John Glenn Columbus International Airport John Glenn Columbus International Airport is an international airport located east of downtown Columbus, Ohio. Formerly known as Port Columbus International Airport, it is managed by the Columbus Regional Airport Authority, which also over ...

and intersects State Route 315 (SR 315) and

I-71 Interstate 71 (I-71) is a north–south Interstate Highway in the Great Lakes/Midwestern and Southeastern region of the United States. Its southern terminus is at an interchange with I-64 and I-65 (the Kennedy Interchange) in Louisv ...

downtown. The section between SR 315 and I-71 is commonly referred to by locals as the "North Innerbelt"; the rest of the Innerbelt consists of SR 315 (west), I-70 (south), and I-71 (east and south).

History

In the late 1970s, the

Ohio Department of Transportation The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT; ) is the administrative department of the Ohio state government responsible for developing and maintaining all state and U.S. roadways outside of municipalities and all Interstates except the Ohio ...

(ODOT) was unable to complete the Spring–Sandusky streets interchange, linking both sections of the highway, due to budget shortfalls and environmental regulations, leaving I-670 the only uncompleted Interstate in Ohio. Two decades passed before work began on the last remaining section, bridging the gap between the two completed sections. Work on this section also included the High Street cap, a

cut-and-cover A tunnel is an underground passageway, dug through surrounding soil, earth or rock, and enclosed except for the entrance and exit, commonly at each end. A pipeline is not a tunnel, though some recent tunnels have used immersed tube cons ...

bridge over the highway featuring shops and restaurants. I-670 was finally completed in 2003. In June 2018, a $60-million (equivalent to $ in ) construction project began on an

active traffic management Active traffic management (also managed lanes, smart lanes, managed/smart motorways) is a method of increasing peak capacity and smoothing traffic flows on busy major highways. Techniques include variable speed limits, hard-shoulder running and ...

system known as SmartLane. The system, running between I-71 and I-270, repurposed a shoulder lane and installed digital overhead signs that would inform motorists when the lane would open and the current speed limit to help reduce congestion. In addition, the interchange with I-270 was reconfigured. The management system opened to traffic in October 2019.

Route description

West of I-71, I-670 passes around both sides of

Fort Hayes Fort Hayes is a military post in Columbus, Ohio, United States. Created by an act of the United States Congress on July 11, 1862, the site was also known as the Columbus Arsenal until 1922, when the site was renamed after former Ohio Governor ...

with two two-way roadways. The south roadway carries the eastbound main lanes and the westbound entrance ramps from I-71 north and SR 3 (Cleveland Avenue), while the north roadway carries the westbound main lanes and the eastbound entrance from US 23 north (4th Street) and High Street.

Exit list

References

{{Transportation in Columbus, Ohio 6 (Ohio) 70-6 70-6 Ohio Interstate 70-6 Transportation in Franklin County, Ohio