Big Walnut interchange tops wish list

A new interchange north of Polaris Parkway, along Interstate 71, tops a list of infrastructurepriorities for Delaware County, according to a just-released report based on surveys of officials, community leaders and the public.

The proposed Big Walnut interchange would provide interstate access for the fastgrowing southern portions of the county, including Genoa and Orange townships.

Unlike many new interchanges, it would serve residential needs and not be built to spur economic

development, said Chris Bauserman, Delaware County engineer. Most of the land nearby is zoned residential and would remain that way. The northwest quadrant, surrounding Alum Creek Reservoir, is owned by the Army Corps of Engineers, he said.

“The residents in that area are employed mostly in the Columbus area and largely are commuters,” Bauserman said. Rush-hour snarls along I-71, Routes 23 and 3 and Cleveland Avenue are common and illustrate the need for relief to “redistribute some of that traffic to a more-direct route into their neighborhoods.”

Delaware County commissioners agreed in 2015 to spend $700,000 on a yearlong feasibility study for a Big Walnut interchange regardless of whether the project was built. The funds are to be reimbursed by the Ohio Department of Transportation.

That study is ongoing, Bauserman said and feedback from ODOT has been positive. Still, the project would need Federal Highway Administration approval, along with funding, meaning

the project is likely at least five years away.

Residents have repeatedly asked about the project’s status, Bauserman said.

“There are a lot more people asking when are we going to get some relief for Big Walnut than concern for it,” he said, noting that nearby residents might not want new roads or ramps cutting close to their property or interchanges every few miles, much like Columbus has.

Orange Township is expected to be built out by 2030, with 3,000 additional residents, said Lee Bodnar, township administrator.

“I’m excited,” Bodnar said. “When you have that spike of growth that southern Delaware County has seen, it makes it difficult to be reactive.”

The infrastructure priority list is part of the Competitive Advantage Projects (CAP) program, sponsored by the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission and Columbus 2020. Other counties in MORPC’s central Ohio region also are conducting surveys.

Program officials met with Delaware County commissioners in December to compile a list of projects with high economic-benefit potential for the region. Local officials, businesses and community leaders were surveyed to narrow 68 possible projects to 20, including road, sewer, telecommunications, trail and utility improvements.

The selections were posted on the county Facebook and Twitter accounts, and more than 300 residents voted in March on the final seven.

Other projects ranked behind the interchange include:

Widening of Home Road and intersection improvements to create an east-west county connector.

Widening a railroad underpass between Bowtown Road and the Routes 36/ 37 split, known as the Delaware Point, just east of the city of Delaware.

Improving the county’s fiber-optic network to handle fifth-generation wireless systems

Building a new I-71 interchange just south of Routes 36/ 37 to bridge traffic between Sunbury and future commercial growth near the freeway.

Building a new sewertreatment plant to serve the area around Tanger Outlets and expected new development there.