The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) has paved the way for delivering all of Ohio’s important packages on time, completing 493 construction projects in 2008.

As part of a more than one-billion dollar investment, ODOT resurfaced 105 interstates and state routes, replaced or repaired 94 bridges, modernized 62 roadways, improved ten intersections and built seven bikeways. More than 6.6 million tons (6 million t) of asphalt was placed on ODOT-maintained roadways — enough asphalt for a two-lane road from Columbus to Corpus Christi, Texas.

Instead of going over the river and through the woods, motorists found several new routes to take this holiday season, including:

• U.S. 30 and U.S. 24 — A new interchange of U.S. 30 at County Highway 330 is complete west of Upper Sandusky, marking the link of a project expanding and relocating U.S. 30 in Northwest Ohio. Also, two sections of U.S. 24 opened to four lanes of traffic in Defiance and Henry counties.

• State Route 18 — The $21 million five-lane highway in eastern Medina County now provides an economic gateway between Interstates 71 and 77.

• State Route 161 — Seven mi. (11 km) of the newly widened and relocated State Route 161 are open from Licking County to eastern Franklin County.

• Northeast Expressway Transformation Project — The $126 million project includes 18 ramps, 17 bridges, 65 retaining walls and a 440-ft. (134 m) tunnel connecting the northeast side of Franklin County.

• Appalachian Corridor — In June, ODOT joined West Virginia in opening the U.S. 50/Blennerhassett Bridge across the Ohio River at Belpre, completing the final link of a continuous four-lane roadway that stretches from Northern West Virginia to Cincinnati.

• State Route 86 — This newly relocated two-lane roadway in rural Lake County was completed early because of an innovative construction phasing and scheduling plan.

• U.S. 33/Pomeroy-Mason Bridge — ODOT and West Virginia opened the new four-lane cable-stayed suspension bridge carrying U.S. 33 traffic from Pomeroy to Mason, W.V., in January.

These completed projects help Ohio’s logistics businesses remain a leader in “on-time” deliveries. An estimated 600 million tons of freight valued at $1.6 trillion is moved by trucks on the state’s highways throughout the year.

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