Drivers cutting through Upper Arlington neighborhoods to avoid the US 33 closure have forced the Ohio Department of Transportation to escalate its traffic controls near McCoy Road.

ODOT said Aug. 6 in a post on X that it has added signage along US 33 and will place barrels and message boards near McCoy Road to redirect through-traffic that has not been following the official detour route. The agency tagged both Upper Arlington Police and the City of Upper Arlington.

The fix came fast. A resident had complained on X on Aug. 4, that their dead-end street had been flooded with cut-through traffic for two days straight, attaching a video showing the problem.

@snsptzr: our dead end road has been this for 2 days straight

What's behind the closure

ODOT closed a section of US 33 (Riverside Drive) from Fishinger Road to just north of River Park Drive on Aug. 3, for approximately 45 days. Crews are replacing a culvert-style bridge under Riverside Drive near River Park Drive and the storm sewer at the US 33 and Fishinger Road intersection. The $2.22 million project is expected to wrap up in fall 2026.

The official detour routes through-traffic onto I-270: northbound drivers should take SR 161 to the Dublin I-270 ramps, while southbound drivers should use Fishinger/Cemetery Road to the Hilliard I-270 ramps. ODOT's detours are required to follow state routes, according to the city's alert.

The Columbus Dispatch reported that ODOT initially announced the closure as stretching from Fishinger Road all the way to SR 161 in Dublin to encourage drivers to take the recommended detour. ODOT spokesperson Hannah Salem clarified that only the stretch from Fishinger Road to around River Park Drive is actually closed. Riverside Drive remains open at both Bethel and Henderson roads.

Residents saw it coming

Before the closure began, Marisa Webb, who lives on a dead-end street off Riverside Drive, told ABC6/WSYX she was worried about how detour traffic would affect her neighborhood during rush hours. "Hopefully they have it mapped out traffic-wise with lights and people directing traffic to help with the flow," Webb said Aug. 1. "It'll be interesting to see what we can expect for 45 days."

The closure runs through approximately mid-September, covering the back-to-school commute season.

Residents with concerns about the project can contact ODOT District 6 at [email protected] or 740-833-8268.