ODOT Closes I-70 Near Buckeye Lake as South Fork Licking River Nears Record 883.5 Feet
Updated
Updated · The Columbus Dispatch · Aug 20
ODOT Closes I-70 Near Buckeye Lake as South Fork Licking River Nears Record 883.5 Feet
3 articles · Updated · The Columbus Dispatch · Aug 20
Summary
All eastbound and westbound lanes of I-70 in Licking County near Buckeye Lake were shut late Aug. 20, with ODOT expecting the closure to last overnight into Aug. 21.
The shutdown follows forecast flooding from the South Fork Licking River, which the National Weather Service says should crest around 6 a.m. at 883.5 feet—above the March 2020 record of 882.9 feet.
Flooding had already closed the eastbound Exit 129A ramp to State Route 79 and one eastbound lane earlier in the day, and ODOT set detours via Route 158, U.S. 40, State Route 13 and State Route 310.
The river also flooded nearby roads and corn fields, stranded at least two cars, and added to wider central Ohio flooding that prompted multiple water rescues and property damage in places including Pataskala.
As record floods shut down I-70 today, what hidden infrastructure damage lurks beneath the receding waters of the South Fork Licking River?
With mandatory evacuations underway, what surprising long-term consequences will today's historic Buckeye Lake flooding have on central Ohio's communities?