Interstate 670 (Ohio)
Interstate 670 (abbreviated I-670) is a 9.37 mile (15.08 km) spur highway that connects I-70 in western Columbus, Ohio to U.S. Highway 62 and Interstate 270 in Gahanna, Ohio on the east side of Columbus. I-670 also provides access to Port Columbus International Airport. There are junctions with Interstate 71, State Route 315, and Interstate 270. I-670 is co-routed with US-62 from Gahanna to downtown Columbus. The section between S.R. 315 and I-71 is commonly referred to by locals as the "North Innerbelt". The other legs of the innerbelt consist of Route 315, I-70, and I-71.
In the late 1970s, the Ohio Department of Transportation was unable to complete the Spring-Sandusky interchange, linking both sections of the highway, due to budget shortfalls and environmental regulations, leaving I-670 the only uncompleted Interstate in Ohio. Two decades passed before work began on the last remaining section, bridging the gap between the two completed sections. Work on this section also included the High Street cap, a bridge over the highway featuring shops and restaurants. The Interstate was finally completed in 2003.
History
Exit number inconsistencies
Several inconsistencies have arisen in the way the exits along I-670 are numbered since it was re-built in the early 2000s.[1][2] All of this is likely due to contractor error.
Exit 1x
When the westernmost miles of I-670 re-opened in 2002, the westbound signage for Exits 1A and 1B were reversed; that is, Grandview Ave was signed as 1A, and US-33 was signed as 1B. This was corrected after a few months.
Exit 4x
When the downtown section of I-670 re-opened in 2003, eastbound signage for US-23 South / Third St referenced the number 4A, but westbound, the number is 4B. Conversely, the eastbound exit to US-23 North / Fourth St (which gives indirect access via Goodale St) is numbered 4B, but westbound it is 4A. The eastbound signage is more compliant with standard numbering guidelines. As of September 2006, the inconsistency remains.
The westbound exit to High St (via Convention Center Dr and Goodale St) lacks an exit number.
Exit 5x
Traditionally, Exit 5A was I-71 South and Exit 5B was I-71 North. With the opening of the re-constructed downtown segment in 2003, new eastbound signage gives the 5B to US-40 / Broad St and I-71 North is re-numbered 5C. However, older signage that still stands at the diverge point to I-71 North still uses the number 5B, potentially causing driver confusion. It can be argued that the Broad St exit really shouldn't even have an exit number of its own, and that it's really an exit off of I-71 Southbound. On the other hand, the entrance from Broad St to I-71 North and I-670 West is treated by signage more like an entrance to I-670 West (giving a reason to treat I-670's "exit" to Broad St some legitimacy) that just happens to have an "exit" to I-71 North on it—which is numbered 5A, for a grand total of 3 exit numbers for I-71 North, or even 4, if you count the mainline westbound exit, which is simply Exit 5. These inconsistencies persist as of September 2006.
Exit list
| # | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|
 Interstate 70 west - Dayton
|
westbound exit and eastbound entrance | |
| 1A |  U.S. Route 33
|
westbound exit and eastbound entrance* |
| 1B | Grandview Avenue | exit 1 eastbound |
| 2A | U.S. Route 33
|
eastbound exit and westbound entrance; provides indirect access to SR 315 south |
| 2A |  State Route 315 south
|
westbound exit and eastbound entrance |
| 2B | State Route 315 north
| |
| 3 | Neil Avenue; Goodale Street | |
| 4 |  U.S. Route 23 - Fourth Street; Third Street; High Street
|
split into 4A and 4B* |
| High Street | westbound only, actually ends at Convention Center Dr | |
| 4C |  State Route 3 - Cleveland Avenue
|
westbound exit is combined with exit 5 |
| 5 |   Interstate 71; U.S. Route 40 - Cincinnati; Cleveland; Broad Street
|
split into 5A (I-71 south), 5B (US 40) and 5B/C (I-71 north) eastbound* |
| 6 | Leonard Avenue | |
| 7 |  U.S. Route 62 west - 5th Avenue
|
US 62 joins eastbound and splits westbound |
| 9 | Johnstown Road; Airport; Stelzer Road; Cassady Avenue | |
 Interstate 270 south - Wheeling, WV
| ||
| Interstate 270 north - Cleveland
| ||
| U.S. Route 62 east - Gahanna
|
eastbound exit and westbound entrance; US 62 joins westbound and splits eastbound | |
| *See Exit Number Inconsistencies above |
 | ||
| ||
References
- ^ David Smith. "Columbus Lane Diagrams." Columbus Roads. Accessed October 19, 2007. <http://www.geocities.com/cmhroads/lanes/>
- ^ Sandor Gulyas. "I-670 Signage." Roadfan.com. May 18, 2005. <http://www.roadfan.com/670signs.html>. (link dead, cached version)