OHIO — The Ohio Department of Transportation kicked off National Work Zone Awareness Week by announcing it was investing $2.8 billion into 950 road and bridge improvement projects.
Of the 950 projects, 39 have been classified as “major projects,” valuing above $10 million.
“Investing in efficient infrastructure is an investment in quality of life,” said Gov. Mike DeWine. “Once complete, these projects will significantly reduce traffic congestion and improve roadway safety.”
The 2024 construction program contains 176 safety projects, laying nearly 5,700 miles of pavement and repairing or replacing 885 bridges across the state.
“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,” said ODOT Director Jack Marchbanks.
ODOT officials highlighted the safety of ODOT workers, noting 43 crews have been struck since January. In 2023, 56 ODOT crews were hit through the entire year with 14 ODOT workers, nine contractors injured and one contractor killed. The top work zone crash type is rear-end crashes.
“Driving requires all your attention, but that is especially true in work zones where things can change quickly. Drop the distractions, obey the speed limit, and allow extra room between your vehicle and the one in front of you,” said Marchbanks.
Ohio had 4,098 work zone-related crashes with 36% occurring when workers were present. From the work-zone related accidents there were 1,433 injuries with 110 of them being classified as serious. Nine people were killed, including the contractor.
Summit County had the most work zone crashes with 576, followed by Cuyahoga County with 521 and Lucas County with 413.
ODOT funded projects for 2024 include:
Northwest Ohio
Northeast Ohio
Central Ohio
Southwest Ohio
Southeast Ohio