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Columbus Leaders Set Multi-Year Infrastructure Timeline Through 2026
Multiple multi-year projects require ongoing coordination as phases advance through 2026 and beyond.
How we reported this
Columbus is advancing a $1.4 billion multi-phase rebuild of the I-70 and I-71 downtown split, with major phases including key flyover ramps scheduled to complete in August 2026.
Highway and Interchange Work
Ohio’s Central Ohio region centered on Columbus launched a record $3.2 billion construction season in 2025. That season included 94 new projects such as the I-70/I-270/Brice Road interchange and 16 bridge projects. These efforts sit alongside the ongoing downtown split rebuild, creating overlapping work zones that local officials must manage for traffic flow and contractor sequencing.
Transit and Trail Projects
Construction on the Link US bus rapid transit West Broad Street corridor is breaking ground in 2026, with the full line expected to open in late 2028. Additional current projects include the new terminal at John Glenn International Airport with completion estimated for 2029, the North Market expansion with completion late 2026, and the Capital Line trail at approximately $100 million with work starting in 2025. These initiatives add layers of scheduling that intersect with the larger highway program.
The $3.2 billion 2025 construction season and the $1.4 billion downtown split together represent the scale of activity now underway. Completion dates already set for August 2026 on flyover ramps, late 2026 on the North Market expansion, late 2028 on the bus rapid transit line, and 2029 on the airport terminal provide fixed markers around which remaining phases must be sequenced.
Coordination Steps Forward
As these projects move through their established timelines, city and state agencies face choices on how to align contractor schedules, maintain access during overlapping phases, and allocate resources across the 94 projects from the 2025 season. Decisions on sequencing will determine whether later stages of the downtown split and the West Broad Street corridor can proceed without extended detours or delays to the Capital Line trail and airport terminal work.