The Ohio Department of Transportation has officially kicked off the highway construction and rehabilitation season by announcing that it will be investing US$1.92 billion into Ohio’s roads and bridges construction projects this year. The announcement ceremony took place in Springfield near the construction site of the final phase of a widening project on I-70 aimed at enhancing lane capacity and motorist safety. Included in the projects is the US$125 million being allocated to 74 projects in a nine-county area that includes Clark, Champaign, Montgomery, and Miami counties. That stretch of Ohio constitutes ODOT’s District 7. The district includes 65 new projects being started this year as well as nine carryover projects. Construction ranges from adding lanes and safety features to resurfacing and bridgework.
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The I-70 project is one of seven projects taking place in Clark County during 2021, with some starting in previous years and others slated to end next year. One includes a US$705,000 project that will widen all four corners of the intersection between State Route 41 and Titus Road as well as Ridge Road in Springfield Twp. The project will also include the installation of a brand new traffic signal as well as asphalt resurfacing. The construction work is slated to begin this summer and will be completed early next year, according to a list of projects provided by ODOT. Four projects are scheduled for Champaign County with most focusing on asphalt resurfacing.
Montgomery County will also see several large construction projects this year. In total, 26 road and bridge projects are slated to take place in the county throughout 2021. Included is work on the ramp from I-70 eastbound to I-75 northbound. The US$782,400 project is underway and the ramp is temporarily closed. As part of the construction, which is slated to end around June, a more than 8-foot-tall safety barrier will be built around the outside curb of that ramp to prevent rollover crashes, according to representatives of ODOT.
