Ohio opens SmartLane on Interstate 275 in Cincinnati

In an effort to alleviate congestion on Interstate 275 in Cincinnati, the Ohio Department of Transportation has opened a SmartLane.

ODOT recently opened this lane, which actually is a widened median shoulder, near Montgomery. It makes the shoulder lane available to traffic when congestion is high, typically during the morning rush hour.

The SmartLane is on I-275 westbound between Loveland-Madeira Road and Reed Hartman Highway, a stretch of approximately 5 miles. Dynamic message signs alert motorists when the lane is open to traffic, with a green arrow indicating it’s open and a red “X” indicating it’s closed.

ODOT’s Traffic Management Center monitors traffic through newly installed cameras and radar. When traffic speeds dip below 55 mph, operators open the SmartLane. Motorists are warned about the lane closing with a yellow “X.”

The SmartLane likely will be used mostly during morning rush hour, from 6 to 9 a.m. on weekdays. The speed limit in the extra lane is 55 mph and may be further reduced in 10-mph increments, depending on how bad traffic gets. Procedure calls for allowing at least 60 seconds between speed limit changes.

All motorists are free to use the SmartLane when it is activated. The extra lane will act like any other lane, allowing drivers to move in and out of it as they please.

ODOT Press Secretary Matt Bruning told Land Line Now that the department would discourage truck drivers from using the SmartLane.

“I think the real benefit to the truck drivers will be the other motorists using (the SmartLane) and lessening the congestion for everybody on the road,” Bruning said.

There is no fee or toll to use the lane as there would be for an express or high-occupancy vehicle lane.

During normal, non-rush hours, the left shoulder will remain closed. But the SmartLane may be used during emergency situations, including crash response and construction or maintenance activities.

“It’s not built to handle traffic 24/7, but it can handle traffic for a couple hours a day when we need it,” Bruning said. “It’s essentially a temporary solution for a temporary problem.”

ODOT has plans to include a SmartLane on I-275 eastbound from U.S. 42 to state Route 28. Those plans also include extending the westbound SmartLane to state Route 28. The department is still waiting for funding for the nearly $70 million project, which is scheduled to be completed in 2028.

SmartLanes are nothing new in Ohio. In October 2019, ODOT opened its first “smart corridor” along Interstate 670 in Franklin County on the east side of Columbus.

Land Line Now Host Mark Reddig contributed to this report.

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