If State Route 315 is your go-to shortcut along the Olentangy River between Columbus and Delaware, get ready to take the long way around. A key stretch of the scenic two-lane route is set to shut down for roughly four months starting March 30, 2026, while crews tackle slope erosion that officials say is literally tugging the roadway toward the river.
The closure is expected to last about 120 days as workers replace aging culverts, install new retaining walls and upgrade guardrails along the vulnerable corridor. The work targets a heavily used section north of Home Road, cutting across a route that serves daily commuters, weekend park visitors, and trail users. Drivers should expect detours and slower trips through the spring and early summer.
What’s Closing and Why
The Ohio Department of Transportation says the project is necessary to stabilize the roadway and protect it from further erosion, describing it as a $3.3 million effort that is expected to take about 120 days, according to WSYX. Crews plan to shore up the riverbank with retaining walls and related fixes aimed at stopping the slow creep of pavement toward the Olentangy River.
Officials frame the project as a way to protect both the road and the neighboring parkland from the kind of washouts and shoulder failures that have become a recurring headache along this corridor. In other words, the state is trying to fix the slipping slopes before a scenic drive turns into a structural emergency.
Where Drivers Will Be Detoured
The closure will stretch between Home Road and Bunty Station Road, cutting off through traffic on that portion of SR 315. The City of Powell is directing most drivers to a signed detour that uses State Route 750 (Powell Road) and U.S. 23 as the main alternate route.
According to the city’s notice, local roads such as Home Road and Hyatts Road will stay open so residents and nearby businesses can still get around while the closure is in effect. Through traffic, however, is expected to stick to the official detour, which means drivers should brace for heavier-than-usual volumes on the parallel routes until the work wraps up. The City of Powell also links out to ODOT resources for detailed maps and ongoing updates.
How the Project Fits Into Regional Plans
This shutdown is not a one-off fix. Regional planning documents show it is one piece of a broader SR 315 stabilization program, tracked as PID 102124, that covers stretches from Hyatts Road to Bunty Station Road and includes funding for slide repair, culvert replacement and retaining walls, according to MORPC.
The listing outlines multi-year federal and state funding for excavation work and embankment restoration, suggesting that this closure is one phase in a longer campaign to keep the corridor intact. While news reports peg the immediate project at about $3.3 million, the MORPC records show additional money and related efforts already lined up for SR 315. Taken together, it adds up to a patchwork of near-term emergency fixes and longer-term preservation on a road that is scenic and slowly sliding at the same time.
What Commuters and Trail Users Should Know
ODOT estimates that roughly 10,000 vehicles a day use this section of SR 315, so once the barricades go up, backups on the detour routes are a safe bet, and drivers should plan for extra travel time, according to WSYX. Commuters who time their mornings down to the minute may want to build in a cushion.
Cyclists and runners who rely on the Olentangy Trail should also stay alert. While the main focus is on the roadway, work near trail crossings could trigger temporary closures or minor detours. Users are advised to check with Columbus Recreation and Parks for advisories and planned interruptions. Elsewhere in the trail system, separate improvement projects are scheduled for later in the summer, each with its own closure notices.
Parkgoers may also encounter intermittent lane or shoulder work that affects access to riverfront parks along the corridor, so a quick check of advisories before loading up the bike rack or kayak could save a wasted trip.
Staying Ahead of the Work
For detailed maps, lane-closure calendars, and alert sign-ups, the City of Powell is steering residents toward the ODOT project webpage and the agency’s traffic notification tools. Officials encourage drivers to review the City of Powell page and ODOT traffic alerts before heading into the area so they are not blindsided by new barricades or shifted detours.
The closure is currently expected to run through late July or early August, weather permitting. Authorities say they will adjust and update the timeline if conditions on the ground change, so anyone who regularly uses this stretch of SR 315 may want to treat those updates as required reading until the road fully reopens.
