OHIO DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

The Ohio Department of Transportation implemented the first SmartLane in Ohio on I-670 eastbound east of I-71 in downtown Columbus. The SmartLane project reconstructed the inside shoulder to allow for an extra travel lane that is open only during certain times. Lane usage is controlled by overhead message boards. The project also included reconstruction of the I-670/I-270 interchange to alleviate a bottleneck on the I-670 ramp to I-270 north.

L&A was responsible for completing the environmental studies on an accelerated schedule. L&A was able to achieve approval of the D1 Categorical Exclusion within six months of authorization to proceed. L&A expedited completion of all the supporting studies, including the Ecological Survey Report, ESA Screening, Noise Analysis, Noise Barrier Public Involvement, Waterway Permitting and public outreach for Underserved Populations. L&A assisted from project initiation to opening, addressing pre-bid questions and providing monitoring of environmental commitments during construction.