LIMA, Ohio (WLIO) — The Ohio Department of Transportation is preparing for another record-setting year of construction, with nearly 1,000 projects planned statewide totaling about $3.4 billion.
Locally, ODOT District 1 officials say much of the work will focus on maintenance and bridge projects across area roadways. Among the major projects is the application of a thin layer of material on Interstate 75 to help extend the life of the interstate. Another project includes constructing a roundabout in Allen County at the intersection of state routes 117 and 501.
“The roundabout is going to be a summer, maybe into early Fall project. We don't know the exact timeframe just yet, but that will be again, kicking off this summer. It's a we'll have our contractor on board early summer, and by that point, we'll know a little bit more about what our schedule is," says Chris Hughes, Deputy Director, ODOT District 1.
In addition to roadway improvements, the state plans to expand truck parking capacity over the next several years, adding about 1,400 spaces across Ohio. Construction is set to begin at rest areas along U.S. 30 in Allen County, with another project starting this year in Auglaize County.
“This year down by Wapakoneta at U.S. 33 and Willipie Street, we are going to be adding, in one of those interchange in-fields, we're going to be adding about 65 parking spaces, truck parking spaces in that location. That's going to be this year, down by Wapak,” adds Hughes.
ODOT District 1 encourages residents to learn more about planned construction projects by scanning the provided QR code.
