ODOT kicks off new construction season

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

LIMA – Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) officials from District 1 in Lima announced a total of 46 projects totaling $63,996.996 will be constructed this year in the eight counties it oversees.

Of the 2011 projects, Van Wert County will see construction on seven projects totaling $14,640,006 second highest for this year, with only Allen County’s 15 projects totaling $19.7 million higher. Projects in Van Wert County include the Shannon Street reconstruction project, which was partially delayed from last summer. That project, which will cost nearly $5.5 million, is also the most expensive in the county.

Other projects scheduled for this year in Van Wert County include the following:

• Repaving U.S. 30, from U.S. 224 to Lincoln Highway; length 4.74 miles; cost $3.1 million.
• Repaving U.S. 30, from Middle Point Road to Lincoln Highway in Van Wert, Allen and Putnam counties; length 7.38 miles; cost $2.6 million.
• Resurfacing U.S. 127 from U.S. 30 to U.S. 224 split, and U.S. 224, from U.S. 127 to the Putnam County line; length 11.08 miles; cost $1.3 million.

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  Resurfacing Ohio 49, from U.S. 33 to Ohio 81, and Ohio 81, from Ohio 49 to U.S. 127; length 11.1 miles; cost $1.1 million.

• Resurfacing Lincoln Highway, from Middle Point-Wetzel Road to Ohio 66; length 5.8 miles; cost $1 million.
• New concrete bridge overlay on bridge deck for a bridge over Town Creek on Ohio 118; cost $141,000.

Of the $14.6 million in Van Wert County projects, ODOT will fund $8.1 million while local government will pay out $6.4 million.

Dan Kaseman, ODOT District 1 planning and engineering administrator, provided some highlights on some multi-year projects in the district, including total reconstruction of two sections of Interstate 75 in Allen County that ODOT estimates would cost $149 million and run from 2013 through 2016, and the adding of a third lane in both directions and total reconstruction of a portion of I-75 in Hancock County, tentatively planned to start in 2016, that ODOT estimates will cost $200 million.

Statewide, ODOT is ready to begin construction on nearly 700 projects.

“Ohioans deserve a reliable and predictable construction program, which provides them with the highest value for their investments,” said ODOT Director Jerry Wray. “This year, we will deliver just that.”

Many of the projects this year in District 1 are safety and preservation projects, rather than expansion projects, said District 1 Deputy Director Kirk Slusher — a trend he sees continuing into the future.

ODOT officials are also asking motorists to use caution and slow down as they drive through the many construction work zones this construction season. In a report recently released by ODOT, date shows there were 5,038 crashes in work zones last year resulting in 1,909 injuries and 12 fatalities.

The top three causes of work zone crashes are preventable, ODOT officials note. They include following another vehicle too closely, failure to control a motor vehicle and improper lane changes.

For up-to-the-minute road conditions and details on highway construction projects in every area of the state, visit ODOT’s website: www.BuckeyeTraffic.org.