ODOT reveals new Ohio map at state fair

COLUMBUS — To kick off opening day of the 2011 Ohio State Fair, the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) revealed a new Ohio State Highway Map, which for the first time includes a QR code that allows smartphone and mobile device users instant access to real-time traffic information.

“This new map not only highlights many of Ohio’s destinations, but gives motorists a helpful tool to get them to their destinations quickly and safely,” said ODOT Director Jerry Wray, who was on hand for the occasion. “Distributing the map at the fair has been a long-standing tradition, and it is appropriate the new map should make its debut here.”

State-issued highway maps began in Ohio in 1912, when the first copies were made available through the then Department of Highways. Since then, the distribution of the map has become a regular and popular service to the general public.

“There were no interstates or expressways when the first maps were published,” Wray said. “The automobile was just starting to change the lives of everyday people, and a map of roadways beyond your own neighborhood or city was becoming a necessity.”

Since 1991, the design of the map has been handled in-house by the ODOT. This recent edition was published by an Ohio contractor, reflecting Governor Kasich’s belief in the importance of the map as a true state product helping to support the economy.

Copies of the map are available at the ODOT exhibit, located in the Marketplace Building, throughout the run of the fair, from July 27-August 7, in Columbus. Copies of the new map can also be obtained throughout the state at interstate rest areas, Ohio’s Travel Information Centers, and at local state offices, such as local Bureau of Motor Vehicles.