City crews are activating the Franklinton floodwall and installing floodgates as heavy rain pushes river levels higher in Columbus. The move is meant to shield the area, even as several nearby roads and an interstate corridor are already shut down by high water.
For drivers trying to move through the west side of Columbus, the impact is immediate. Greenlawn Avenue is closed between Front Street and Harmon Avenue, Harmon Avenue is closed north of Frank Road/State Route 104, and the ramps from Interstate 71 to Greenlawn Avenue are shut. The Division of Police has also closed I-71 between I-70 and I-270 because water is on the roadway.
The work in Franklinton is happening because the river is rising fast enough to trigger flood-response measures before the water reaches the point where damage becomes unavoidable. That makes the closures more than a traffic headache; they are part of a larger effort to hold back flooding in the neighborhood while the weather keeps feeding the problem.
What makes the situation difficult is the overlap between protection and disruption. Crews are building barriers to defend Franklinton, but the same high water that is pushing them into place has already cut off key streets and a major stretch of I-71, forcing traffic onto other routes that may already be carrying more than they should.
No reopening time has been given. Until river levels ease enough for the barriers to come down and the roadway water to recede, the closures are likely to remain in place and drivers will have to keep avoiding the area.
