The Dispatch
New stretch of Rt. 161 to offer faster commute
Sunday, October 19, 2008
BY ELIZABETH GIBSON
After they leave work Tuesday, drivers headed home between Franklin County and Granville in Licking County should save five to seven minutes on their commute along a new, four-lane stretch of Rt. 161, officials said.
The Ohio Department of Transportation will cut the ribbon on a 7-mile stretch of the new 65 mph roadway between New Albany and Watkins Road on Tuesday morning and then open it to the public that afternoon.
Drivers will still have slower going between Watkins Road and Granville to the east. ODOT officials expect to finish widening that stretch by May 2010 in the second phase of the $160 million project. Once the project is complete, Stickle said, it should save an estimated 22,000 daily commuters about 15 minutes each way.
I don’t think anyone can really say that a bypass reducing traffic on the old route is a surprise. Likewise, it’s not at all surprising that business from drive-by customers has decreased. It’s just one of the many impacts to consider when dealing with major transportation investments.
I wonder if this has businesses in Nelsonville scared?