ODOT to reseed grass killed by herbicide

Ohio Dept. of Transportation information

LIMA — The grass along area highways that remains brown from herbicidal spraying last summer will be reseeded by the contractor this year.

The Ohio Department of Transportation District 1 (ODOT) recently completed an assessment of vegetation along the highways in the district’s eight-county region where a 2, 4-D-based chemical was sprayed last summer to kill broadleaf weeds. The chemical contained a growth retardant that was believed at the time to have caused the grass to brown immediately and remain brown throughout the summer and fall.

“In our conversations with the contractor last year when the issue was first identified, we were assured the grass would recover, but any areas that did not would be reseeded at their expense,” said Kirk Slusher, Ohio Department of Transportation District 1 deputy director. “Based on our recent assessment, we now believe we have several areas that will require reseeding.”

The contractor, Mercier’s Inc. of South Point, will be responsible for reseeding dead areas, spraying weeds which have overtaken some of those areas and repairing any washout areas created because of the lack of healthy vegetation. ODOT will request the contractor to perform this work at their expense as soon as possible.

ODOT regularly performs herbicidal spraying by contract. Vegetative retardants, which slow the growth of grass, are typically included in the mix to reduce the number of mowings each year.

ODOT District 1 encompasses Allen, Defiance, Hancock, Hardin, Paulding, Putnam, Van Wert and Wyandot counties.