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ODOT announces record $2.5 billion for more than 1,000 projects during 2023 construction season

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BRECKSVILLE, Ohio — Mid-March is typically when we see the swallows return to Capistrano, the buzzards return to Hinckley and the orange construction barrels return to Ohio highways. ODOT Director Jack Marchbanks was in Brecksville Wednesday to announce that the agency expects to invest a record $2.5 billion into more than 1,000 projects during the 2023 construction season.

A lot of these projects are made possible in part from Ohio’s nearly $10 billion share of Infrastructure and Jobs Act money coming from Washington.

"We have a record program this year, particularly here in North Central and Northeast Ohio, almost three-quarter-of-a-billion dollars is being invested because we can advance these projects now with that additional money,” Marchbanks said.

That's something Ohio has not always been able to do. Remember, just a decade ago it was announced that the start of the construction of Cleveland's second Innerbelt bridge was delayed from 2014 until this year, 2023, because the money simply wasn't there. It only ended up back on track and completed in 2016 when the Kasich Administration found a way to finance it by bonding against future Turnpike revenue.

“These investments are made possible by hard-working Ohioans who use these roads and bridges every day to get to work, school, medical appointments, and family vacations. It is our duty to ensure the resources entrusted to us are used wisely,” said Marchbanks in a statement from ODOT.

This year’s construction program includes 31 new projects that are considered “major” with a value above $10 million. There are 190 safety projects aimed directly at reducing serious or deadly crashes. More than 5,700 miles of pavement will be improved, and 823 bridges will be repaired or replaced.

This construction season isn’t all about building new roads. About 95 cents of every dollar is being invested back into preserving existing roads and bridges.

In Northeast Ohio, this year’s construction season includes 202 new projects and 45 projects continuing from the previous construction season for a total of $1.5 billion worth of active construction.

Projects highlights: