The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) officially kicked off the 2015 construction season March 16 with the ceremonial groundbreaking of the I-75/I-475 interchange near Jeep Parkway.
ODOT announced $2.4 billion in construction, including $0.5 billion in Northwest Ohio. That’s the biggest construction season in Northwest Ohio history and the second biggest in Ohio history.
“At ODOT we have two seasons: Ice and snow — which I still think there’s a little bit of snow here on the ground — and then we also have construction,” said Theresa Pollick, public information officer for ODOT’s District 2. “Some would argue this past contruction seasion did not end with all the major work. … We at ODOT see this as a very positive thing.
“[Construction] is a good thing because it’s needed in the area. We’ve been dealing with a potholes, we have been dealing with infrastructure that needs safety improvement. So all this work here is a very, very, very good thing for the area.”
ODOT will construct 990 projects — up 50 from last year — including 297 bridge and culvert projects totaling $398 million, 278 pavement projects totaling $523 million, 219 safety projects totaling $250 million and 38 major construction projects totaling more than $1 billion as well as 19 county bridge replacements through Gov. John Kasich’s Bridge Partnership Program, according to a news release from ODOT.
In Northwest Ohio, those projects will include the I-75 and I-475 interchange widening project, the I-75/I-280 interchange widening project and the Central Avenue interchange upgrade project.
