State Route 315, known locally as the Olentangy Freeway, running almost parallel to Olentangy River Road for most of its length, is a north–south highway in central Ohio, in the Columbus metropolitan area. It may be seen abbreviated as SR 315, OH-315, or simply 315. Its southern terminus is at the south junction of I-70 and I-71 in Columbus, and its northern terminus is at US 23 near Delaware. It is a controlled access freeway from its southern terminus to I-270. The controlled access section carries two or three lanes in each direction, depending on the location. North of I-270, it becomes a two-lane road. It roughly follows the Olentangy River for about two-thirds of its length. The route passes through the Ohio State University campus. The section between Interstate 670 and Interstate 70 is known as the West Innerbelt, and it is commonly referred to as such in traffic reports. The original name of this section was Sandusky Street.
Route description
thumb|left|200px|Southbound at 5th Avenue
State Route 315 begins at an interchange with Interstates 70 and 71 on the southwest corner of downtown Columbus. Shortly after this interchange, the route meets US 62 and SR 3 at a split diamond interchange with Rich Street and Town Street. The route then meets US 33 and Interstate 670 at the complex Sandusky-Spring interchange. Near the Wexner Medical Center, the route has slip ramps that allow access to Medical Center Drive and Olentangy River Road. The road then runs along the west side of the Ohio State University campus, meeting Lane Avenue and Ackerman Road at diamond interchanges.
Shortly after Ackerman Road, the roadway turns sharply east, then sharply north at North Broadway to avoid both Union Cemetery and Riverside Methodist Hospital. Now closely following the Olentangy River, the route has a partial interchange with Henderson Road/Olentangy River Road. After this, the route meets the terminus of Bethel Road in a modified diamond interchange. At exit 10, the road meets SR 161 at a diamond interchange before the freeway ends at a windmill interchange with Interstate 270.
The road briefly continues as a 4-lane divided highway until an intersection with Olentangy River Road/Mason Place, where it is reduced to two lanes. After passing through some wooded areas and housing developments, the route meets SR 750 near the village of Powell. This is the last major intersection before the route ends at US 23 in Stratford.
History
State Route 315 was signed in 1932 along its current routing between SR 161 near Linworth and US 23 near Stratford. The entire route was paved by 1935. By 1966, the route had been extended to downtown Columbus along the previously unnumbered Olentangy River Road, ending at an intersection with US 33.
By 1967, a portion of freeway had opened between Interstate 71 and Interstate 670 along Sandusky Street. From there to Henderson Road, the route was a 4-lane surface road. Freeway construction continued in pieces throughout the 1970s, requiring the relocation of some parts of the Olentangy River.
By 1980, the only remaining freeway gap was between Ackerman Road and Henderson Road. This section had been a point of contention since 1969, when the Marburn Women's Action Group (MWAG) was formed. The MWAG successfully lobbied the Ohio General Assembly to revise Sec. 1721.01 of the Ohio Revised Code, allowing the freeway to be built on unused Union Cemetery land. This avoided the displacement of homeowners in the Marburn neighborhood. The road also had to avoid the Riverside Methodist Hospital, thus resulting in two sharp curves at North Broadway.
In 2005, a section of the route between King Avenue and the Franklin/Delaware county line was named in honor of Lawrence E. Hughes, who was a major influence for the construction of the Olentangy Freeway.