# Presentation: 757497

## Purpose of Work Shop

**Purpose of Work Shop**
- Share Ohio’s experience with a **full closure** reconstruction:  the rationale, challenges, implementation and benefit

## Background

**Background**
- Statewide interstate reconstruction effort underway in Ohio to rebuild aging, heavily traveled highways and make them safer for 21st Century traffic.
- ODOT is looking for creative ways to repair these roads while minimizing the negative impact to our customers

## Interstate 670

**Interstate 670**
- When originally built during the ’60s, the 1.7 mile stretch of urban highway was considered state of the art.
- However traffic long outgrew the original design making it difficult to navigate and a high-accident location

## Map of SSI Projects

**Map of SSI Projects**

## Project History

**Project History**
- I-670 segment one of 15 projects worth $225 million to rebuild and redesign the downtown Columbus innerbelt and complete the missing link in Ohio’s interstate system.

## More History ...

**More History ...**
-  The work  stalled for decades due to environmental regulations, lawsuits and lack of funding.
-  Work began on the projects during the early ’90s using operating-cost savings from ODOT.  Today only two projects remain.

## Benefit

**Benefit**
- When the work is completed in the fall, motorists will be able to travel **directly** from the west to east side of Columbus on a **newer**, **safer**, **wider** **highway.**

## Why Full Closure?

**Why Full Closure?**
-   	Given the long history of the project, ODOT 	and Columbus eager to complete 	remaining projects quickly
-   	ODOT could cut construction schedule by 	more 	than half using full closure vs. part-	width

## Project Scope

**Project Scope**
-   	Reconstructing and building new 1.7 miles 	of urban freeway including 21 bridges and 	10 ramps
-  	Cost: $50 million
-  	Highway tightly bordered by historic 	neighborhoods, convention center and 	emerging business and arena districts

## Existing Condition

**Existing Condition**
-   	Two narrow lanes in each direction with 	little shoulder area
-  	Geometric deficiencies: sharp curves, short 	merge areas and ramps spaced too close
-  	Disrepair: crumbling concrete on bridges, 	medians and shoulders, rough road surface

## Slide 11

## Slide 12

## Slide 13

- Pix disrepair

## Why Full Closure on I-670

**Why Full Closure on I-670**
-  	Cut Construction from 4 years to 18 months
-  	Reduce the potential for accidents
-  	Worker Safety (difference in elevation)
-  	Reduce Driver Confusion
-  	Better Quality and Reduced Cost
-  	Experience with Full Closure (SR 315)

## Slide 16

## Process

**Process**
- To pursue a full-closure approach, ODOT had to gather the facts and “build the case,” then present the information to key decision makers for support.

## Analysis

**Analysis**
-  	**Traffic** – where will the traffic go?  Can the 	system support it?
-  	**User Delay** **Costs** – closing vs. 	maintaining traffic
-  	**Life-cycle costs**

## Slide 19

## Building Support

**Building Support**
- Once we gathered the data, we had to “sell” the idea to key decision-makers.
-  	**Mayor and Local Public Officials**
-  	**ODOT Executive Leadership**
-  	**Public**
- Support was relatively easy to come by given the clear benefits.

## Implementation

**Implementation**
- Enacting the closure was easy.
-  	**One week of prep** for signs
-  	**One day to close** (weekend)
-  	**Two weeks of traffic monitoring** (Field, 	TMC 	and LEOs)

## Public Outreach

**Public Outreach**
- The hardest part of the full closure is the outreach needed to prepare the public.
- This effort began about six months in advance and continued at a steady pace leading up to and  after the closure.  It also involved the public relations AND construction staff.

## Key Audience

**Key Audience**
-  	**Motorists**
-  	**Businesses**
-  	**Residents**
-  	**Public Officials/Opinion Leaders**
-  	**Emergency Responders**
-  	**Schools**
-  	**Media**

## Type of Communication

-  	**Fact Sheets**
-  	**Custom Flyers** for nearby businesses
-  	**Web site** (_[www.I-670.org](http://www.i-670.org/)__)_
-  	Group and One-on-One **Presentations**
-  	**Media** (pitched various news angles)
-  	**Government Channel**
-  	**E-mail Updates **– progress reports and 	traffic info

## Slide 25

## Key Messages

**Key Messages**
-  	**Benefits of work** (new, safer, wider 	highway, direct connection, completes 	interstate, design enhancements)
-  	**Efforts to minimize construction delays ****	**(4 yrs to 18 mos, incentives/disincentives)
-  	**Alternate Routes** and **Commuting ****	****Strategies**

## Construction Progress

**Construction Progress**
- Work is currently 2/3 complete and on-time thanks to:
-  	**$20,000 per day Liquidated Savings**
- 	**High-community profile**
-  	Contractor has **unrestricted access** **to ****	****work site**

## Slide 28

## Slide 29

## Slide 30

## Slide 31

## Would you use the full closure again?

**Would you use the full closure again?**
- Yes! ODOT’s experience has been positive and we would use a full closure again under the right conditions.

## Right Conditions

**Right Conditions**
-  	**Small section of roadway**
-  	**Tight physical constraints**
-  	**Variety of good alternate routes**
-  	**Clear public benefit**
- “Building the case” and communicating the benefits is key!

## Future Contracting Innovation

**Future Contracting Innovation**
- Increasing public demand for less work zone congestion and the success of innovative projects have given ODOT the courage to try new techniques.
-  	**Innovative Contracting Policy**
-  	**Fast Track Bridge Construction**

## QUESTIONS?

**QUESTIONS?**