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Upham Drive closed early Monday morning and will remain closed through 2025 for construction of the Wexner Medical Center at Ohio State’s new inpatient hospital tower, Nicole Holman, spokesperson for the Office of Administration and Planning, said in an email. Credit: Mackenzie Shanklin | Assistant Photo Editor

Upham Drive, a key access point to Harding Hospital, has shut down for the next five years.

The road closed early Monday morning and will remain closed through 2025 for construction of the Wexner Medical Center at Ohio State’s new inpatient hospital tower, Nicole Holman, spokesperson for the Office of Administration and Planning, said in an email.

Holman said the road is closing so construction vehicles can use it to move materials to and from the construction site.

The main entrance to Harding Hospital, on the building’s southwest side, is also closing for the construction. Pedestrians will be redirected to the hospital’s east entrance, according to a Sept. 23 press release. The entrance has a ramp for wheelchair users.

Holman said that the construction team has been working with Harding Hospital to minimize potential disruption.

The new inpatient hospital is the largest individual construction project in university history, Dr. Harold Paz, CEO of the Wexner Medical Center at Ohio State, said when the Board of Trustees approved the project during an Aug. 26 meeting. The tower will expand on the Rhodes Hall and Doan Hall hospitals.

The building is slated to open early 2026, according to an Aug. 24 press release.

“I am excited to move forward with the construction of an expanded state-of-the-art hospital facility that reflects the extraordinary care provided by our clinicians and staff,” Paz, executive vice president and chancellor for health affairs at the university, said. “The pandemic has made clear that cutting-edge facilities are necessary to care for patients and families across our region.”