An Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) engineer falsely completed a federal funding application for a Medina County roundabout project that was awarded $2 million, according to a report from the Office of the Ohio Inspector General (OIG).
The OIG originally received a February 2024 complaint alleging ODOT as well as the Medina County Engineer’s Office, co-sponsors of a project to build a roundabout at the intersection of state Route 162 and River Styx Road in Montville Township, submitted fraudulent information to secure money from a federal program aimed at reducing emissions and congestion.
The project’s co-sponsors submitted the application under the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) Improvement Program in 2021, and the grant would be used to pay for eligible project costs, including construction costs, the OIG’s office said in a statement.
The CMAQ application that was submitted to the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency (NOACA) allegedly contained false information, including making it seem as if traffic in the area is worse than it is so that the intersection has a lower transportation system rating and would qualify for the grant, officials noted.
The engineer continues to be employed by the department, ODOT confirmed Aug. 22.
The reports said an ODOT District 3 planning engineer changed the intersection’s traffic flow measurement rating in the application to an “F,” the worst possible rating, on the application for a federal grant. A 2019 study gave the intersection a “D” rating in the morning and a “C” in the evening, the OIG’s report said.
The employee was interviewed by the OIG, admitting to officials that he changed the rating; he said he recalled speaking to NOACA before submitting the application and being given advice to falsify the data, OIG reported. None of the three NOACA officials that the employee named told investigators that they instructed him to make the improper data entry.
After the CMAQ application was submitted to NOACA in May 2021, the agency awarded ODOT $2 million in January 2022 to pay for construction costs for the roundabout project.
The Inspector General is referring this report to the U.S. Department of Transportation, as well as the Federal Highway Administration and CMAQ for consideration, officials stated.
The roundabout construction at Route 162 and River Styx Road is slated to begin in the summer of 2026 and end in the fall. It is unclear whether the OIG’s report will affect the project or if federal funding will be revoked.
Reporter Anthony Thompson can be reached at ajthompson@gannett.com, or on Twitter @athompsonABJ
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Medina County project was awarded $2M for roundabout based on falsified data, state finds
Reporting by Anthony Thompson, Akron Beacon Journal / Akron Beacon Journal
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