ODOT construction season kicks off
The Highland County Press
On Monday, March 16, the Ohio Department of Transportation launched a $2.4 billion investment in transportation construction, which will include the state’s first-ever public-private partnership. Several public and private officials attended a groundbreaking ceremony at PAS Technologies to signal the start of the long-awaited Hobart Drive project.
It’s all part of Gov. John R. Kasich’s Jobs and Transportation Plan, which is in its third year to advance some of the state’s largest projects.
The Ohio Department of Transportation and Highland County Engineer Dean Otworth hosted a 2015 Construction Kickoff on Monday afternoon at the end of Hobart Drive, to mark the start of the Carl Smith/Hobart Drive project.
Otworth thanked the Highland County Board of Commissioners, Hillsboro City Council and city administration, ODOT District 9 and all the property owners who have been cooperative with the Carl Smith/Hobart Drive project.
Otworth explained that the $6.9 million project will be completed in three phases by the J.R. Jurgensen Company. Phase one will start at state Route 73 and come across Careytown Road; phase two will be from Homestead Avenue to U.S. 62; and phase three will be south on Careytown Road to Harry Sauner Road.
"This will be very nice and a much-needed improvement for Highland County," Otworth said.
Otworth also thanked his staff at the county engineer's office for their work on this and other area construction projects.
In addition, he updated those in attendance on bridge projects on Route 247, Bridges Road, Holladay and Tolle roads, Fenwick Road and various guard rail and striping projects.
Ohio Department of Transportation District 9 Deputy Director Vaughn Wilson discussed the state’s first-ever public-private partnership – or P3 – begins construction in Scioto County this spring. The Portsmouth Gateway Group is set to build a $429 million, 16-mile highway that will be the state’s largest modern earthwork project to date.
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The Portsmouth Bypass is a four-lane limited access highway from U.S. Route 23 north of Lucasville to U.S. Route 52 near Sciotoville. It is designed to complete the missing link of the Appalachian Highway System in Ohio and fuel economic development in the region.
“New interchanges and wider roads are the focus of this year’s construction season,” ODOT Director Jerry Wray said. “While our number-one priority is to maintain what we already have, this year’s projects place a strong emphasis on improving the economy, safety and overall quality of life in Ohio.”
Highlights of ODOT’S construction program include:
• 297 bridge and culvert projects totaling $398 million;
• 278 pavement projects totaling $523 million;
• 219 safety projects totaling $250 million;
• 38 major construction projects totaling more than $1 billion; and
• 81 county bridge replacements through Gov. Kasich’s Bridge Partnership Program.
In addition to the Portsmouth Bypass, some of the more prominent projects in District 9 that support the state’s mission and are designed to help the area’s residents and businesses include:
• The Lake White rehabilitation on state Route 104 in Pike County, which has ODOT partnering with ODNR to overhaul and reconstruct the bridge, the spillway, the intersections and the dam at Lake White.
• The Carl Smith/Hobart Drive extension project from U.S. 62 to state Route 73 in Highland County.
• The Ironton-Russell Bridge replacement over the Ohio River from Ironton, Ohio to Russell, Ky.
As a reminder, this is the second construction season Ohio’s Move Over Law extends to construction and utility vehicles, as well as law enforcement, safety and towing vehicles. It requires motorists to cautiously shift over one lane – or slow down if changing lanes is not possible – when passing any vehicle with flashing lights on the side of a road. When driving through work zones, motorists can increase safety by staying alert and giving full attention to the road, following all posted signs and flagger instructions and not tailgating.
For more information about the Move Over law, visit www.dot.state.oh.us/moveover, and for statewide construction information, visit ODOT’s transportation.ohio.gov/Services/RoadConstruction website.