2012 ODOT construction projects listed

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

LIMA – The Ohio Department of Transportation’s District 1 launched this year’s construction season during an event held Tuesday at Wannemacher Total Logistics’ Hanthorn Road facility in Lima (click here for a map showing Van Wert County projects).

The event was held at the trucking/warehouse facility to highlight the importance of trucking to Ohio, and how crucial it is to invest in the state’s highway system.

ODOT Director Jerry Wray, who was given a tour with other ODOT officials by company owner Greg Wannemacher, stressed the importance of trucking to Ohio.

“Businesses such as Wannemacher Total Logistics are keeping Ohio’s economy moving, with more than $438 billion worth of goods shipped by truck annually,” Wray said, noting that Ohio ranks third nationally in that category. “A reliable transportation system is not only the lifeblood of their business, but also the catalyst for future expansion and job creation.”

The ODOT director also talked about the state’s funding shortfall in connection with major upcoming construction projects and what his agency is dealing with it.

“The way we fund transportation is at serious risk of running out of gas,” Wray noted, adding that ODOT has a $1.6 billion highway budget shortfall, which “could delay large-scale, economically-vital transportation projects.”

The ODOT director blamed the shortfall on the gasoline tax, higher construction costs and a federal stalemate over a long-term national transportation funding program.

Wray said his agency is working on innovative ways to raise funds to help ease the financial crunch. Plans include commercialization of non-interstate rest areas and sponsorship and naming rights for certain infrastructure projects, which would save $100 million to $200 million annually. Wray said billions more could be saved by leveraging state-owned transportation assets, such as the Ohio Turnpike, and exploring public-private partnerships.

Wannemacher talked about his business, which he began in 1991 and which now includes four warehouse locations in Lima and a warehouse facility in Ottawa — a total of 1 million square feet of warehouse space — and why he feels locating along I-75 was a good decision.

In 2011, the company purchased Golden Heritage Foods LLC in Van Wert, producers of Busy Bee Honey as an expansion into liquid fill, and processes approximately 90-100 trucks a day through its warehouses.

“We chose our presence here along 75 because we felt it would be very instrumental to our growth,” Wannemacher said. “The ease of getting on and off the major interstate has been very important to use, especially during inclement weather.”

Kirk Slusher, ODOT District 1 deputy director, also outlined a total of 32 construction projects this season in the eight-county district totaling $39 million. Chief among those is the beginning of a multi-year reconstruction project for I-75 in Allen County.

In Van Wert County, a total of $1.8 million will be spent on three projects – two of those ODOT sponsored and the other local government project. Projects include:

• Grinding and resurfacing 17.16 miles of Ohio 49 in Wren and from U.S. 224 and U.S. 30 (excluding the Village of Convoy), as well as in Paulding County, from Payne to Antwerp. Total cost (including Paulding County) $1.9 million.
• Resurface portion of Ohio 81 in Van Wert County (13.2 miles). Cost $1.3 million.
• Replace bridge over Town Creek on Wall Street in Van Wert. Cost $485,456.

Paulding County will have a total of $4.4 million in ODOT construction projects this year, while Putnam County will see $5.4 million in construction projects in 2012.