TOLEDO, Ohio (WOWO) — Ohio transportation officials have completed a final feasibility study examining a potential new highway connection between U.S. 23 in northwest Ohio and Interstate 71 south of Columbus.

The study identifies an approximately 18-mile route as the most feasible option and estimates the project could cost between $857 million and $1.2 billion if construction were to begin in 2035.

The Ohio Department of Transportation and Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission delivered the final study to state lawmakers Wednesday.

The proposed roadway would run from U.S. 23 north of Waldo to I-71 south of State Route 521.

The preferred alignment would also include an interchange with U.S. 42 north of the village of Ashley.

The agencies say the project remains in the planning stage and is not yet a construction project.

Before the proposed connector could move into the formal project development process, additional funding would have to be identified.

That funding question would also need to be resolved before ODOT could establish a construction schedule.

The feasibility study examined potential transportation benefits, including travel-time savings and safety improvements.

ODOT’s projections show that if the proposed roadway were built along the preferred alignment, it could carry approximately 21,900 vehicles per day by 2055 if drivers were not charged a toll.

With tolls in place, the study projects average daily traffic of approximately 8,500 vehicles.

The study also estimates the potential connector could reduce travel times between I-475 in the Toledo area and I-270 around Columbus.

Under the conditions examined by the agencies, travel time could be reduced by about six minutes during free-flow conditions.

During the morning peak period, the estimated reduction could reach 22 minutes.

Those projections are based on existing conditions on U.S. 23 and assume an additional lane would be added in each direction on I-71.

The proposed route is intended to provide another connection between northwest Ohio and the Columbus area while potentially reducing congestion and improving travel conditions along existing routes.

ODOT and the Ohio Turnpike Infrastructure Commission began the feasibility study to determine whether a new connector could be built and what a potential alignment and cost might look like.

The final report does not authorize construction.

Instead, it gives state officials additional information to consider as they determine whether the project should advance.

If the project eventually moves forward, the projected construction cost would depend on several factors, including the final design, right-of-way needs, construction timing, inflation and the availability of funding.

The current estimate of $857 million to $1.2 billion is based on construction beginning in 2035.

The study also considered whether the roadway would operate as a toll facility. Traffic projections vary substantially depending on that decision, with the study estimating nearly 21,900 vehicles per day without tolls compared with about 8,500 vehicles per day if tolls were charged.

The agencies said the projected safety and travel-time benefits outweigh the estimated cost of the project based on the analysis conducted for the feasibility study.

However, no final decision has been made to build the roadway.

The next steps would require state officials to determine whether funding is available and whether the project should advance into the formal development process.

For drivers in northwest Ohio, the proposed connector could eventually provide another route toward central Ohio, while the potential connection to I-71 would give traffic a direct link to the interstate south of Columbus.

The study represents the latest step in evaluating an idea that remains years away from potential construction.

If funding and additional approvals are secured, construction could begin as early as 2035 under the assumptions used in the study.

For now, transportation officials say the project remains under consideration, with the final feasibility study providing lawmakers with an estimate of the route, potential traffic levels, travel-time benefits and projected cost.