ODOT Investing $2 Billion in Roads and Bridges
For Central Ohio that means more than 80 construction projects
COLUMBUS (Thursday, March 30, 2017) – Construction will begin this year on the first of five projects to
improve safety and reduce congestion along the Interstate 70/71 corridor in downtown Columbus. For the
motoring public, it means more travel lanes, less weaving and merging and new ramps. Downtown
neighborhoods, pedestrians and cyclists will get new bridges and intersections that are signalized.
“Instead of one large project with a hefty price tag, we’ve designed the safety improvements into five
smaller projects that are more attractive to fund,” said Jack Marchbanks, ODOT District 6 Deputy Director.
“Traffic will still be impacted, but less so by smaller projects because the construction work zone is
shorter.”
This year’s construction season includes just over 80 projects in Delaware, Fayette, Franklin, Madison,
Marion, Morrow, Pickaway and Union counties. That adds up to a $390 million dollar investment in our
roads and bridges.
Some of the other major projects include:
* Widening Interstate 71 between State Route 315 and Stringtown Road
* Completion of the interchange reconfigurations at I-270/US 23 and SR 315 and at I-270 and US 33.
* Reconstruction of SR 435 at I-71 in Jeffersonville in Fayette County.
Statewide, the Ohio Department of Transportation will invest $2.3 billion into the state’s roads and bridges,
just shy of the record $2.4 billion investments made in 2014 and 2015.
This construction season will include 1,098 projects, 26 valued at more than $10 million. Workers will pave
6,945 miles of roadway – enough for a two-lane road from Seattle to Key West.
Safety is always the top priority, and this year’s construction program will include 191 projects aimed at
making our roadways safer.
“We have seen an increase in the number of traffic deaths in Ohio over the last three years, and we are
working hard to reverse this disturbing trend,” said ODOT Director Jerry Wray.
ODOT is also working to make the existing system work more efficiently by leveraging technology like the OHGO app, intelligent transportation systems, and recently-approved variable speed limits and smart mobility corridors. “The easy movement of people and goods from place to place is part of the ODOT mission statement. Those aren’t just words on paper,” Wray said. Last year, there were 6,041 crashes in work zones resulting in 28 deaths, 186 serious injuries, and 810 minor injuries. The top cause of work zone crashes is following too close. Drivers need to pay extra attention and follow signs and directions in work zones to ensure the safety of workers and motorists.