What to know about Ohio's Intel Silicon Heartland factory project
Who is making the factory?
Intel Corporation, commonly known as Intel, is an American multinational corporation and technology company based in Santa Clara, California. It is the world's largest semiconductor chip manufacturer. The company’s name comes from “integrated electronics.”
What will the Intel Silicon Heartland project be making in Ohio?
Investment of more than $20 billion in the construction of two new leading-edge computer chip manufacturing factories, known in the industry as fabs, the largest single private-sector investment in Ohio history.
Where will the Intel factory be made?
Nearly 1,000 acres in Licking County, bordered by Clover Valley Road on the west, Green Chapel Road on the north, Mink Street on the east and midway between Miller Road and Jug Street on the south. The Jersey Township land has been annexed into New Albany. Intel has dubbed the area Silicon Heartland, modeled after the California region that is the global center for high-tech innovation. It is located a mile outside of Johnstown and a short trip east from Columbus.
When will the factory be constructed, and when is production expected to begin?
The official ground-breaking on Friday followed months of excavation work on the site. Production in the new factories is expected to begin in 2025.
The project sets out to boost production to meet the surging demand for advanced semiconductors, which has declined in the United States from producing about 40% of the world’s microchips in 1990 to 12% today.
How many jobs are expected to be created from the Intel semiconductor factory project?
The project is expected to create 3,000 Intel jobs, 7,000 construction jobs over the course of the build, and tens of thousands of long-term jobs at Intel suppliers and partners.
Excavation: Intel selected an Ohio-based team led by Gilbane Building Company, with partners McDaniel’s Construction Corp., Northstar Contracting Inc. and GTSA Construction Consulting to manage the early excavation work.
Expansion: The site can accommodate eight chip factories, an investment of $100 billion, as well as supporting operations and ecosystem partners.
Education: Intel pledged an additional $100 million toward partnerships with educational institutions to build a pipeline of talent and bolster research programs in the region.
What changes will we see in the area in New Albany?
Road impacts
Planned area road improvements in the coming years, according to the Ohio Department of Transportation, will include:
∎ U.S. 62 widening underway to create two-way left turn lane between Village Square Shopping Center and Westview Drive. Two-way traffic will be maintained. Estimated completion in October.
∎ U.S. 62 intermittent daytime lane closures will occur between Tippet Road and Fancher Road for intersection improvements at Beech Road. Traffic will be maintained with flaggers. Estimated completion in October.
∎ Clover Valley Road is no longer open to through traffic from Jug Street or Miller Road for foreseeable future. Local access from Clover Valley Road to Jug Street is maintained for residents only. Detour is Clover Valley Road to Green Chapel Road to Mink Street to Jug Street to Clover Valley Road, or reverse.
∎ The northern leg of Clover Valley Road and western leg of Miller Road have been connected at the intersection. Two-way traffic consisting of southbound Clover Valley Road to westbound Miller Road and eastbound Miller Road to northbound Clover Valley Road has been maintained. Miller Road east of the intersection has no access to the intersection.
∎ Jug Street access has been temporarily eliminated west of Beech Road to Central College Road. Local traffic will be maintained. Detour is Beech Road to Smith's Mill Road to U.S. 62/Johnstown Road to Central College Road/Jug Street, or reverse. It is expected to reopen Oct. 24. Jug Street is open to two-way traffic east of Beech Road to Mink Street.
∎ The intersection of Harrison Road and Jug Street is now open to two-way traffic through the new roundabout, except for the northern leg of the roundabout to the Harrison Road extension, which is only accessible to construction traffic.
This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: What to know about the Intel factory project as Biden visits Ohio
