Gov. Mike DeWine and the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) recently released the results of an 18-month study looking at transportation investments to support economic growth and development in the state.

“The goal is to help us understand how Ohio’s highways influence and support statewide economic growth and prioritize transportation projects, as funding is available,” DeWine said. “Ohio’s economy is growing and to keep this momentum going, we must get people to work and deliver goods on time.”

In House Bill 23, effective July 1, 2023, DeWine and the Ohio Legislature directed ODOT to conduct a strategic analysis of Ohio’s highway corridors and how they can support statewide economic growth.

For over a year, ODOT has worked with the Governor’s Office of Workforce Transformation, the Ohio Department of Development, JobsOhio and more than 500 elected officials, business leaders, and transportation and regional planning experts to identify needs, opportunities and concerns.

Staff from ODOT’s 12 districts also shared their local expertise.

Ohio ranks sixth in the nation in terms of freight volume with nearly 1.4 billion tons of freight moving to, from and through the state annually. Ohio-based businesses can access more than 60% of the U.S. and Canadian population within a one-day drive.

The state’s multimodal transportation system, which includes highways, rail corridors, airports, transit systems and marine ports, lead the nation by many measures. This system supports the industries and the workforce that drive the state’s economy.

“Overall, most of Ohio’s major highway corridors are handling the needs of today and are expected to do so in the future, even if current population and economic growth trends accelerate,” said ODOT Director Pamela Boratyn. “However, we have identified congestion risks that could hinder future economic development. This tool will assist ODOT and local leaders in ensuring transportation is never a roadblock to economic opportunity.”

In just the past five years, Ohio has seen major investments from companies like Intel, Amazon, Google, Meta, Honda, PharmaVite, Aunduril Industries and Joby. These companies are choosing Ohio because of its workforce, location and quality of life. However, each of these things relies on a strong transportation system.

In 2023, Ohio’s gross domestic product (GDP) was $872.7 billion, the seventh highest in the nation. Six of Ohio’s metropolitan statistical areas ranked in the top 100 in the nation for GDP. Cincinnati, Columbus and Cleveland are in the top 40.

WHAT THE STUDY FOUND

The report identifies 72 congestion risk locations across the state, referred to as “hotspots.” All were considered in the context of Ohio’s economic goals and ODOT’s broader mission to provide a transportation system that is safe, accessible, well-maintained and positioned for the future.

Of the 72 congestion risk locations, all but 21 were already on ODOT’s radar. The 51 projects already in the ODOT pipeline represent a total investment of $13 billion. However, $6.1 billion worth of the projects remain unfunded. There is no funding source identified for the other 21 projects the study recommends.

ODOT analyzed risks associated with congestion in seven geographic / economic regions and studied interregional connections along six focus corridors. ODOT specifically examined how these corridors will meet travel needs over the next 10, 20 and 30 years.

CANTON / YOUNGSTOWN-WEST VIRGINIA / PENNSYLVANIA

One of those corridors includes U.S. Route 30 and state Route 11 and connects Northeast Ohio with West Virginia and the Pittsburgh metropolitan area in Pennsylvania.

Canton and Youngstown have experienced population and employment declines in their urban cores. However, Canton has recorded population growth in some northern areas, while Youngstown has observed growth in its southwestern suburbs.

Employment trends have fluctuated, with significant job losses in higher-paying manufacturing industries.

In East Canton, Route 30 features rural areas with existing warehousing and logistics businesses. Austintown has shown population and employment growth trends.

U.S. Route 224 provides connectivity to Route 11 and Interstate 680, facilitating regional movement. I-680 and Interstate 76 enhance network connectivity and access to logistics and warehousing industries.

The corridor includes a mix of road types. The western portion lacks access control, consisting primarily of a two-lane road with sections that expand to three lanes near villages or for truck climbing lanes. The eastern portion is a four-lane, fully access-controlled interstate highway with 10 interchanges.

No corridor segments are experiencing congestion currently and traffic volumes are generally well below road capacity.

Safety concerns have been identified along Route 30 between East Canton and Minerva, and on Route 11 from the Interstate 80 interchange to the Route 224 interchange, which records the highest crash frequency on the corridor.

The study recommended addressing local safety concerns and updating interchanges on Route 30 in Stark and Columbiana counties.

The full report, including appendices, and a digital interactive mapping tool can be found at transportation.ohio.gov/statewidestudy.