Officials Note Traffic Shifts as Judicial Center Work Advances

A section of 2nd Avenue between 9th Street and 10th Street will close from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, August 2 through Sunday, August 4 for Judicial Center construction, according to traffic notices issued by local authorities.

The three-day restriction arrives while Columbus Consolidated Government moves forward on a $1.2 billion infrastructure portfolio that includes transportation upgrades, stormwater work, and the new $207.5 million Judicial Center itself. Officials have pointed to these overlapping projects as the main reason drivers and transit riders should expect periodic changes in downtown access.

Transit and Road Network Details

METRA Transit System continues to run its 10 fixed bus routes with 15 vehicles on weekdays and Saturdays between 4:30 a.m. and 8:30 p.m., providing one alternative for residents avoiding the closed block. Interstate 185, U.S. Route 27 and U.S. Route 80 remain the primary highway corridors, with the airport located directly off I-185 and served by daily Delta Connection flights to Atlanta.

The city maintains roughly six miles of bike lanes and paths, including the Dragonfly Trail, while Broadway and 13th Street function as the main downtown arteries. Staff have noted that these existing routes can absorb some of the short-term diversion traffic during the August closure.

Project Status and Next Steps

The Williams Road/Fortson Road roundabout stands at 31 percent completion under the same infrastructure program. Officials have stated that continued coordination between the Judicial Center contractor and METRA will determine how service adjustments are communicated to riders in the coming weeks.

Drivers are advised to monitor the city’s traffic site at wtvm.com/traffic and METRA route information for any schedule revisions tied to the August work window.