Roadside Towing & Recovery Inc tow truck responding to an interstate breakdown in Columbus, Ohio
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I-71 Towing in Columbus, From Grove City to Polaris and Sunbury

Flat on the I-71 shoulder, a no-start on the Stringtown Road ramp or a breakdown near Polaris Parkway? Hazards on, belt on, then call dispatch.

Call (740) 812-9489

I-71 towing in the Columbus area means the north-south interstate from the farm exits south of Grove City, through the downtown split with I-70, past campus and Clintonville, and up through Polaris to the outlets near Sunbury. A flat on the shoulder, a battery that quits in stop-and-go traffic, a car that overheats on a summer afternoon: if you are stopped on I-71 now, keep your belt on, switch on the hazards and stay off the traffic side of the car, and call 911 first if you are in a lane or anyone is hurt. Then call Roadside Towing & Recovery Inc at (740) 812-9489 and tell the dispatcher northbound or southbound and the last exit you passed. Our yard is on the southwest side, minutes from the south end of I-71, so Grove City calls are usually in our 15–30 minute tier, the stretch through the city 20–40 minutes, and Polaris northward 40–60. Each of those is an estimate, and the dispatcher gives you the live number before the truck rolls.

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South end: SR-56, Grove City and the Stringtown Road ramps

Below Grove City, I-71 runs through open farmland with long gaps between exits. Exit 84 at SR-56 and exit 94 at US-62 and SR-3, signed for Grove City, Orient and Harrisburg, are the interchanges most of our southern calls name. Exit 97 sits just south of Grove City, and exit 100 at Stringtown Road leads into the busiest retail strip in town.

The Stringtown Road ramps come right before the I-71 and I-270 interchange, so traffic is merging and weaving in a short space. A car that stalls on one of those ramps has very little room around it. Stay put, buckled in, and let the dispatcher know you are on a ramp rather than the main line, because it changes how the truck approaches you.

This end of the corridor is the closest to our yard, which is why a dead battery or a flat near Grove City is often one of our quicker calls. Our Grove City towing page covers the in-town lots and streets.

Through the south side to downtown

North of the outerbelt, the exits come quickly: exit 104 at SR-104 and Frank Road, then exit 105 at Greenlawn Avenue, which runs east to South High Street. By the time you reach the downtown split, I-71 is sharing pavement with I-70, and the State's innerbelt rebuild has been cutting the ramps on that short stretch from nineteen to thirteen, with more phases still to come.

In the split, a stalled car is boxed in by fast merges on both sides. If you are stopped in a lane anywhere downtown, treat it as a 911 call first. Once police have the lane protected or you are safely on a shoulder, we can hook up and get the car off the highway.

Campus, Clintonville and the north side

North of downtown, exit 110B is 11th Avenue, while exit 110A at Fifth Avenue has no northbound exit, a detail that matters if you are trying to describe where you got off. Exit 112 is Hudson Street, which cuts across toward the University District, and exit 113 is Weber Road. Exit 115 is Cooke Road with Indianola Avenue, exit 116 is Morse Road and Sinclair Road, and exit 117 is SR-161.

These are close-together urban exits with short ramps and stop-and-go traffic at rush hour. Overheating in a summer backup and batteries that give out when the car has been idling for half an hour are the common calls. For the campus itself, our Ohio State towing page explains garages and clearances.

Polaris Parkway and the north outerbelt

Exit 121 at Polaris Parkway is on Westerville's west edge and feeds Polaris Fashion Place, the Westar offices and the Gemini Place ramp. Heavy holiday shopping traffic can back up the ramps and the parkway itself, and a car that dies in that line of traffic is a common winter call. Tell dispatch whether you are on the exit 121 ramp, the Gemini Place ramp or the parkway, because each one is reached a different way.

For the mall lots, see our Polaris Mall towing page. For Lewis Center and Orange Township just to the north, the Lewis Center towing page covers the local roads, and Westerville towing covers the city to the east.

North to Sunbury, the outlets and Delaware County

Beyond Polaris, I-71 runs into Delaware County toward the US-36 and SR-37 interchange at exit 131, which funnels traffic onto Wilson Road and the Tanger outlets near Sunbury. Shopping days and bad weather can both stack traffic at that exit. Saying the outlets at exit 131 or Wilson Road in Sunbury gets the driver to you quickly; our Tanger Outlets towing page covers the lots.

This end of the corridor is in our outer tier, so plan on 40–60 minutes, an estimate that can stretch on a big shopping day. Running out of fuel between exits is a common call here, and fuel delivery brings enough to get you to the next station without a tow.

What a call from I-71 costs

Every number comes from the published rate card. A tow from the I-71 shoulder is $4 a mile en-route from our yard, a $125 hook-up and $7 per loaded mile, plus the $75 highway charge, and a call between 10 PM and 6 AM adds $150. A jump start or tire change is a flat $75 plus en-route miles and the highway charge.

If the car needs to go a long way, to a dealer in another city or home to another state, ask about long-distance towing instead of a short tow to a lot. Electric vehicles ride with all four wheels off the ground on every tow.

Before you call from I-71

A few details get the right truck to the right side of the highway the first time.

  • Northbound or southbound, and the last exit number or street sign you passed
  • On the main line, a ramp, or the shoulder of a ramp
  • Whether you can safely stay in the car, and whether any part of it is in a lane
  • A spare tire, if you have one, and any wheel lock key
  • Where the car should go, and whether that shop is open now

I-71 Columbus: common questions

Frequently asked questions

Who can I call for I-71 towing in Columbus?

If you are in a lane or anyone is hurt, call 911 first. Otherwise call Roadside Towing & Recovery Inc at (740) 812-9489 at any hour with your direction and last exit. We cover I-71 from the SR-56 and Grove City exits through downtown and Polaris to the Sunbury outlets.

I have a flat tire on I-71 near Columbus. What should I do?

Pull as far right as you can, or onto the next ramp if it is close. Turn on the hazards, stay belted in and do not change the tire next to traffic yourself. Call us with your direction and last exit; the technician sets up cones and lights, then mounts your spare or tows the car to a tire shop if there is no usable spare.

How fast can you reach me on I-71?

South of downtown, near Grove City, calls are often in our 15–30 minute tier. Through the city it is usually 20–40 minutes, and from Polaris north toward Sunbury 40–60. Those are estimates, and dispatch gives you the live number on the phone.

How much is a tow from I-71?

$4 a mile en-route from our yard, a $125 hook-up, $7 per loaded mile and a $75 highway charge, with $150 added between 10 PM and 6 AM. Ohio sales tax follows the pickup county, and the total is quoted before the truck rolls.

I ran out of gas on I-71. Can you bring fuel?

Yes. Fuel delivery brings enough to reach the next station, so most empty-tank calls do not need a tow. Tell dispatch your direction, the last exit and whether the car takes gasoline or diesel.

What is the Highway Patrol number for I-71?

For any emergency, call 911. If nobody is in danger, the State Highway Patrol takes non-emergency interstate calls when you dial #677 on a cell phone. Once you are safe, call us for the tow or roadside help.

My car died on the exit 121 ramp at Polaris. Can you reach it?

Yes. Tell dispatch whether you are on the exit 121 ramp, the Gemini Place ramp or Polaris Parkway itself, and which direction you came from. Stay in the car with the hazards on, and call 911 first if you are blocking a lane.

Are you the Ohio Department of Transportation's tow company for I-71?

No. We are independent and come when a driver calls us. If the police or the State had a car removed from I-71, ask them where it was taken.

Related help

Nearby and related

Roadside Towing & Recovery Inc is an independent towing company and is not affiliated with the Ohio Department of Transportation, the Ohio State Highway Patrol, any shopping center named here or the City of Columbus.

Roadside Towing & Recovery Inc (dba Columbus Roadside Towing).
Corporate office (private, no walk-ins): 3879 Regatta Ct, Lewis Center, OH 43035
Tow yard & impound lot: 1620 Harrisburg Pike, Columbus, OH 43223
(740) 812-9489 · chris@columbusroadsidetowing.com

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