2024 local road projects listed by ODOT

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

Ohio Department of Transportation Director Jack Marchbanks officially kicked off road and highway construction season earlier this week.

Marchbanks, ODOT District 1 Deputy Director Chris Hughes and ODOT District 2 Deputy Director Pat McColley held a media event in Findlay on Tuesday to outline what 2024 projects are on tap around the region.

“While the orange barrels that are synonymous with summer may be a source of frustration and inconvenience for some, they are a sign of progress and improvement for all who live in Ohio and who travel through it,” Marchbanks said.

Among the scheduled projects in Van Wert County, which is part of District 1:

Lincoln Highway resurfacing – crews will mill and resurface Lincoln Highway from Convoy Road to John Brown Road between May and July. Traffic will be detoured. The project cost is $2.25 million.

U.S. 224 resurfacing – U.S. 224 from U.S. 127 to the Putnam County line will be resurfaced, starting in May and ending in August. Daily lane closures will occur and the cost of the project is $2.38 million.

U.S. 33, Ohio 49 and Ohio 81 microsurfacing – crews are applying microsurface pavement preservation treatment on U.S. 33/Ohio 49/Ohio 81 within and near Willshire. Work began in March and will continue into Novmber, with daily lane closures. The project will cost $491,526.

U.S. 127 and Ohio 49 resurfacing – work will take place between the Mercer County line and the south corporation line of the Van Wert city limits, and Ohio 49 through the Village of Wren. The project will cost $2.5 million and work will begin in May and will end in October. There will be daily lane closures.

Crews will raise the profile and replace two culverts on Ohio 81, just west of Harrison Willshire Road. Work is expected to begin in May and end in July and the project will cost $1.4 million. Traffic will be detoured.
Workers will perform miscellaneous bridge maintenance activities on various structures, including two in Van Wert County. Work will begin in May and will go until October. The project will cost $1.65 million and traffic will not be impacted.

The ongoing $6.8 million Leeson Ave., Van Wert, improvement project. Crews are reconstructing the road and improving curbs and gutters, and building a multi-use bike path. Work began in February and is expected to be complete by fall. ODOT has listed November as the estimated end of the project.

In addition, both rest areas along U.S. 30 have been demolished and new eastbound and westbound facilities are being built, at a cost of $5.5 million.

Statewide, ODOT is kicking off a record construction season, investing $2.8 billion into 950 road and bridge improvement projects across the state. There are 39 projects classified as “major projects” with a value above $10 million.

This year’s construction program also includes 176 safety projects and laying nearly 5,700 miles of pavement. Projects will repair or replace 885 bridges in the state.

ODOT officials are urging motorists to use extra care in road construction zones. So far this year, 43 ODOT crews have been struck while working. This compares to 56 ODOT crews hit all of last year. 14 ODOT workers and nine contractors were injured in work zone crashes in 2023, and one contractor was killed.

Last year, there were 4,098 work zone-related crashes in Ohio with 36 percent occurring when workers were present. Speeding continues to be a major factor in work zone crashes. In 2023, the Ohio State Highway Patrol wrote 3,760 citations with 34 percent for speeds more than 20 miles per hour over the posted speed limit.

“Driving requires all your attention, but that is especially true in work zones where things can change quickly,” Marchbanks said. “Drop the distractions, obey the speed limit, and allow extra room between your vehicle and the one in front of you.”