COLUMBUS, Ohio — The state will be investing almost $87 million into 28 roadway safety projects, focusing on areas with “a history of severe and deadly crashes,” according to a press release from the Ohio Department of Transportation.
The projects—part of the ODOT Highway Safety Improvement Program—will be spread across 22 counties. The majority, the release states, will be focused on dangerous intersection improvements.
“When it comes to our roadways, safety will always be our top priority," Gov. Mike DeWine said in the release. "Our goal is to save lives by investing to improve dangerous intersections."
ODOT says that 30% of traffic deaths occur as a result of intersection crashes, “killing 362 people in 2023 and 104 people so far this year.”
As part of these projects, 19 roundabouts will be constructed. The release cites studies by the Federal Highway Administration that show these reduce crashes and lower risk of deadly crashes.
“ODOT’s mission includes building and maintaining a transportation system that is safe. It’s a responsibility we take very seriously,” ODOT Director Jack Marchbanks said in the release. “However, we also need drivers to do some very basic things like follow the speed limit, buckle up, drive sober, and above all pay attention.”
Additionally, it will also be extending the variable speed limit zone on the I-90 Lake Effect Corridor, as it notes it has led to a 35% decrease in crashes.
The release notes that ODOT has been using digital signs on a 12-mile stretch of I-90 to lower speed limits during dangerous snow squalls. The corridor will be extended by six miles to the west, near the SR 306 interchange for $2.3 million in grant funding.
