DELAWARE, Ohio — A completed feasibility study has recommended an 18-mile connector as the preferred way to improve one of central Ohio’s most congested travel corridors, though construction of the proposed highway remains years away.
The final study proposes a new link in the U.S. 23 corridor that would provide a more direct connection between the Toledo area and Columbus, easing traffic through Delaware, Marion, and Morrow counties. The project is estimated to cost between $857 million and $1.2 billion if construction were to begin in 2035.
One of the study’s central findings is the time drivers could save. Under free-flow conditions, travel between I-475 near Toledo and I-270 around Columbus would drop by about six minutes. During morning peak hours, the savings could reach 22 minutes — a significant improvement for commuters and freight moving through one of the state’s busiest freight corridors.
The study also examined whether tolling the connector would affect its use. Researchers projected the route would carry about 21,900 vehicles per day without tolls by 2055, but only around 8,500 per day under a tolled scenario — a difference that could shape future funding decisions.
Despite the completed study, the project faces a long road before any work begins. State transportation officials would first need to identify funding sources before moving the proposal into formal project development, and the study concluded only that anticipated benefits, including shorter travel times and safety improvements, would outweigh projected costs.
Officials said the connector could also shift through traffic away from communities along the existing U.S. 23 corridor, offering relief to residents along the current route.
