COLUMBUS — The Ohio Department of Transportation delivered its final report on a proposed connector between U.S. 23 and Interstate 71 to state lawmakers on Wednesday, closing more than a year of study, public meetings, and opposition from central Ohio residents.
If lawmakers agree to build it, the 18.2-mile connector would run through mostly agricultural land in Morrow, Marion and Delaware counties. ODOT’s preferred route starts at U.S. 23 north of the village of Waldo, passes north of Ashley, and ties into I-71 just south of State Route 521 in Delaware County. Only one interchange, north of Ashley, would be built along the stretch.
The report says construction would impact eight homes, three agricultural buildings, 23 acres of floodplain, four acres of wetlands, and about 91 acres of forest. ODOT also documented effects on streams, including 1,583 feet of streams designated for mussel habitat by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.
Cost estimates assume work would begin in 2035. The connector itself would run about $890 million, and widening I-71 to handle the new traffic could add another $236 million, pushing the total to roughly $1.1 billion.
ODOT projects about 21,900 vehicles would use the connector daily by 2055. The agency says it would cut travel time between Interstate 475 outside Toledo and Interstate 270 in Columbus by six minutes off-peak and 22 minutes at peak hours.
As a toll road, the numbers look tougher. ODOT estimates only 8,500 drivers a day would use it with tolls, and the revenue would cover maintenance and operations plus about 17.8 percent of construction costs — not enough to fund the project.
Lawmakers directed ODOT to study the route in the 2026-2027 operating budget. No construction decision has been made.