The Ohio Department of Transportation is funding 24 transportation projects around the state for $8.5 million, Gov. Mike DeWine’s office announced in a June 18 press release.
The 24 projects will support more than 32,500 jobs and more than $2 billion in private investment, according to the release. ODOT’s funding for the projects is coming from its Transportation Improvement District Program.
Included in the 24 projects are the Mink Street Improvements project in Licking County, the Agler Road/Stygler Road/U.S. 62 Improvements project in Franklin County and the State Route 762 & Rickenbacker Parkway Roundabout project in Pickaway County.
The Mink Street Improvements project will widen Mink Street in Etna Township between U.S. 40 and Prince Drive. Multiple logistics centers will invest more than $650 million in their facilities near the project, which is near the Intel chip plant under construction, according to ODOT.
The Agler Road/Stygler Road/U.S 62 Improvements project will reconstruct the intersection in Gahanna where the three meet. These improvements are needed to support around $350 million in private investment and 2,000 jobs, according to ODOT.
The State Route 762 & Rickenbacker Parkway Roundabout project will include a roundabout and turn lane improvements at that intersection in Harrison Township. More than $250 million in capital investment will be invested in the area near the project, according to ODOT.
All of the projects funded with the Transportation Improvement District Program will start construction in fiscal year 2027.
Meanwhile, Ohio House Bill 479, which has been passed by the state Legislature and has been sent to Gov. Mike DeWine for his consideration, would allow flexibility for local Transportation Improvement Districts in Franklin, Delaware, and Licking counties to reallocate unused funds among already-approved roadway projects associated with Intel-related growth and would extend the timeline to use them by one year.
State Rep. Kevin Miller, R-Newark, said in a news release that the state previously committed $90 million for transportation projects supporting the Intel development and surrounding economic development, including $66 million allocated to local Transportation Improvement Districts and $24 million for Ohio Department of Transportation projects.
Several projects have come in under budget, Miller said, creating an estimated $3 million to $5 million in available funding. The bill changes current law to allow those unused dollars to be redirected to other eligible projects within the same regional infrastructure program so local governments in those three central Ohio counties can fund widening and other roadway improvements in those development areas.
“As our region continues to experience unprecedented growth, it is critical that we make the most effective use of every infrastructure dollar already committed to these projects,” Miller said.
House Bill 479 now heads to the Governor’s desk for consideration.
Transportation and neighborhoods reporter Nathan Hart can be reached at NHart@dispatch.com, @NathanRHart on X and nathanhart.dispatch.com on Bluesky.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: ODOT funding 24 transportation projects for $8.5 million, including three in Central Ohio
Reporting by Nathan Hart, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
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By Nathan Hart, Columbus Dispatch | USA TODAY Network
