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Columbus Pushes $1.2B Infrastructure Program Toward 2026 Completion
Multiple projects within the city's $1.2 billion infrastructure program face spring through late 2026 finish lines that will require ongoing management choices on traffic and sequencing.
How we reported this
Columbus has approximately $1.2 billion in infrastructure initiatives underway that cover transportation, flood abatement and the Judicial Center. These efforts include several projects with defined completion targets in 2026 and 2027, which means city and state officials must address remaining sequencing and traffic management steps in the months ahead.
Judicial Center Timeline
The $200 million Judicial Center broke ground in early 2024 and carries an estimated completion date of late 2026. Work on this facility continues alongside the other listed initiatives, so decisions about final inspections, equipment installation and surrounding site access will need to align with the overall program schedule.
Transportation Project Status
The I-185/Buena Vista Road interchange is a $47.7 million GDOT-managed project that is 75 percent complete and expected to finish in spring 2026. Spiderweb Phase II is a $45.8 million overpass project expected to conclude in 2027 following a 24-month intersection closure. These two efforts will require continued coordination on lane shifts and detour planning as the I-185 work reaches its spring target and the Spiderweb closure period extends into the following year.
Flood Abatement Schedule
The Flood Abatement Project on the 19th Street System has a budget of over $13.5 million and is scheduled for completion in November 2026. This timeline overlaps with the I-185 interchange finish and the later stages of Judicial Center construction, creating a need for decisions on construction sequencing and any shared staging areas.
Next Steps and Coordination
With the I-185 interchange due in spring 2026, the 19th Street flood work finishing in November 2026 and the Judicial Center targeted for late 2026, officials will next focus on confirming traffic impacts from the Spiderweb Phase II closure and verifying that remaining budgets stay on track through the final construction phases. These milestones will determine when each completed segment can open for public use without further delay.