TOLEDO — Ohio lawmakers now have what they need to fund a freeway easing congestion between Toledo and Columbus, according to northwest Ohio business and planning organizations pointing to a new study from the Ohio Department of Transportation.
The proposed U.S. 23/I-71 connector has been a long-discussed fix for one of the state’s most congested freight corridors. Regional leaders say the study shows overwhelming benefits from the project, including better safety, faster freight movement and stronger economic growth across northwest Ohio.
Business groups across the region are now pressing the legislature to commit funding, arguing the study gives lawmakers the justification they have been waiting for to move the project from planning to construction.
The push puts a major infrastructure project back on the table this fall, with supporters framing the connector as an investment in both congestion relief and the region’s logistics-driven economy — and one that would pay dividends for commuters and freight carriers alike.
