LIBERTY — Two of the Ohio Department of Transportation’s 31 major projects scheduled to begin this year are in the Mahoning Valley.

Major projects include any that will cost $10 million or more. ODOT Region 4 unveiled the 30 active construction projects slated for the Mahoning Valley this year, of which 26 projects are new. These projects include seven bridge improvement projects, six safety projects and 15 road improvement projects for a total of $79 million.

The biggest project in Mahoning County is set to cost about $13.5 million. It is a resurfacing project on Interstate 680 from Gibson Street in Youngstown to just south of U.S. Route 224 in Boardman. This stretch of the interstate is about five miles long and both the north and south sections will be resurfaced. At least one lane will remain open for traffic at all times.

This project also includes repairs to nine bridges. It is set to begin in September and is estimated to be competed by December 2024.

The other significant project for Mahoning County is improvements to the Interstate 76 and Bailey Road interchange in Jackson Township, near the Lordstown border.

“What’s happened over the years is we’ve had a few businesses develop there and there is a big truck stop, so we’ve had a lot of truck congestion there,” said Justin Chesnic, ODOT District 4 Public Information Officer.

A lane will be added going each way on Bailey Road, as well as a traffic signal at the interchange. A left turn lane will be added on the I-76 westbound exit ramp and a right turn lane will be added on the eastbound exit ramp. Traffic will be able to move through the area during construction without a detour.

Chesnic said this will reduce congestion, which generally reduces crashes.

This project is estimated to cost $1.4 million and should begin and May and be completed by November.

Also in Mahoning County, ODOT is expected to begin the following projects:

• Lighting improvements on I-680 at the Shirley Road and Indianola Avenue interchanges for a cost of $900,000. The project is estimated to begin in April and be completed by November;

• Lighting improvements on I-680 at the Midlothian Boulevard interchange for a cost of $1.4 million. The project is estimated to begin in October and be completed by June 2024;

• Traffic signal upgrades and curb upgrades for ADA compliance in Poland Village and Poland Township for a cost of $1.1 million. The project began in September 2022 and is estimated to be completed by November;

• Culvert replacements on state Routes 14 and 170, and in Trumbull and Ashtabula counties for a cost of $800,000. The project is estimated to begin in August and be completed by June 2024;

• Resurfacing on state Route 165 between state Routes 14 and 46, and on state Route 534 from state Route 165 and Calla Road, as well as repairs to four bridges for a cost of $3.3 million. The project is estimated to begin in April and be completed by August;

• Resurfacing on state Route 170 between Glenwood Avenue and I-680 for a cost of $1.2 million. The project is estimated to begin in April and be completed by August;

• Chip sealing on state Route 534 from the Columbiana County line to state Route 165 for a cost of $700,000. The project is estimated to begin in May and be completed by August;

In 2025 or 2026, ODOT is preparing to begin a $60 million to $80 million project on I-680 that will start at the state Route 11 and Interstate 80 interchange all the way to South Avenue. This is about a seven-mile stretch of the interstate. Chesnic said ODOT is planning to take all that pavement out down to the dirt and completely replacing it. This will be a multi-year project.

TRUMBULL COUNTY

The biggest project in the Mahoning Valley will be in Howland for a total of $19 million. A diverging diamond interchange will be added at the state Routes 46 and 82 interchange. It is set to begin in July and will be completed around October 2025.

This is only the third diverting diamond in the state. Chesnic said the other two are in Columbus and Toledo.

“In that area, we have a lot of congestion and a lot of crashes, especially on those ramps at 46 and 82. This project will make that a lot safer,” Chesnic said.

This project also includes the replacement of the Route 82 bridge over Route 46.

Traffic will be able to continue on Routes 82 and 46, but the ramps at that interchange, as well as the East Market Street exit ramp, will be closed during multiple stages of the project. Detours will be posted at the time of the closures.

A diverging diamond is considered by the state to be safer and more efficient for high traffic areas because it involves no left turns against oncoming traffic.

Appearing diamond-shaped from above, the interchange involves traffic switching sides of the road temporarily, which in the case of routes 46 and 82 is meant to allow easier access on ramps.

Nearly 160 crashes occurred on the ramp intersections between 2012 and 2016, according to ODOT, making the interchange a priority on ODOT’s safety project lists.

Another new road conversion also will be coming to the area in Brookfield. A restricted crossing U-turn, or RCUT, will be installed on U.S. Route 62 at the Bedford Road intersection and a right-in, right-out will be installed at the Broadway Road intersection.

“We have a lot of severe angle crashes. Folks pull out to make a left and they end up getting t-boned or side-swiped at a high rate of speed,” Chesnic said. “U.S. Route 62 is a high speed, limited access highway where folks are going 55 to 60 miles per hour. We’ve had a lot of serious crashes in that area.”

The RCUT will only allow people to turn right onto route 62 at that point, so they will have to make a U-turn. Chesnic said this is safer because motorists do not have to cross multiple lanes of high-speed traffic.

This project is estimated to cost $2.4 million and will begin in April and is expected to be completed by October.

Also in Trumbull County, ODOT will work on the following projects:

• Culvert replacements on state Routes 7 and 305 for a cost of $1.5 million. The project began in August 2022 and is set to be completed by June;

• Resurfacing on state Route 7 from Drake State Line Road to Route 305 for a cost of $1 million. The project is expected to begin in June and be completed by September;

• Culvert replacements on state Routes 45 and 534, and in Mahoning and Ashtabula counties for a cost of $800,000. The project is expected to begin in August and be completed by June 2024;

• Drainage improvements and resurfacing on state Route 46 from Prospect Street to Gilbert Street in Weathersfield for a cost of $1.6 million. The project is expected to begin in July and be completed by October;

• Chip sealing on state Route 46 from Peck Leach Road to state Route 87 for a cost of $700,000. The project is estimated to begin in May and be completed by August;

• Resurfacing on state Route 169 between the southern Warren corporation limit to North Road for a cost of $300,000. The project is estimated to begin in April and be completed by August;

• Resurfacing on Ellsworth Bailey Road from Lyntz Road to Palmyra for a cost of $600,000. The project is estimated to begin in June and be completed by November.

WORK ZONE SAFETY

As ODOT gears up to begin work this year, Chesnic also reminded citizens to slow down and move over in construction zones.

According to the Ohio State Highway Patrol, there were 4,628 work zone-related crashes in the state last year. Of those, 21 were deadly, resulting in 23 fatalities and 85 serious injury crashes.

“One of the things we have noticed the last few years is workers are getting hit more and more,” Chesnic said. “Last year, we had about 130 crews struck throughout the state. This year, we’re already at 25 crews hit, whether it’s equipment, stuff around those crews, folks really need to slow down and move over if they can.”

Ohio law requires drivers to move over a lane for vehicles with flashing lights. If drivers cannot move over, they are required to slow down.

Summit County, which is also in Region 4, saw the most work zone crashes in the entire state with 814. June is typically the month in which the most amount of crashes occur. Last year 585 work zone crashes occurred in the month throughout the state.