Clark County leaders are optimistic that state funding for the remaining portion of a $43 million I-70 widening project might come sooner than expected.
Thursday, officials with the Ohio Department of Transportation District 7 and the Clark County-Springfield Transportation Coordinating Committee spoke before the state Transportation Review Advisory Council in Middletown, attempting to convince the board to move the project up on a priority list so construction could begin in spring 2017.
After the presentation, ODOT Director Jerry Wray suggested the state consider acquiring $1.1 million of property or right of way along I-70 sooner than fiscal 2016.
"To me it was a positive sign," said Matt Parrill, ODOT District 7 planning and engineering administrator. Previously, he said, TRAC officials had delayed buying the property from fiscal 2015 to 2016.
In March, District 7 officials applied for construction money to widen I-70 in Clark County from U.S. 68 to Ohio 72. Officials have asked TRAC for $40 million. The remaining $3 million will come from District 7. That 3.4-mile stretch is the only section, for about 85 miles along I-70, that has four lanes. The stretch of road runs from the north side of Dayton to the east side of Columbus.
"Forty million dollars, that's a pretty big job, but we're stressing that this is the final piece," said Scott Schmid, director of the Clark County-Springfield Transportation Coordinating Committee.
In late March, as part of the first phase of widening I-70 in Clark County, crews began expanding the highway from Enon Road to U.S. 68 to six lanes. The $17.5 million project is expected to be completed in November 2015. Officials now need money for the second phase, which includes adding one east and west lane from U.S. 68 to Ohio 72, redoing the existing four lanes and replacing six bridges.
Parrill and Schmid stressed the remaining portion needs to be funded to reduce congestion, increase motorist safety, improve the condition of pavement and bridges and support area economic development.
"It's getting worse, it's not getting better," Schmid said, noting that traffic along that stretch of I-70 handles 55,000 to 70,000 vehicles a day, exceeding traffic volume projections for 2025.
ODOT has 33 accepted applications this year from transportation officials vying for millions in state funding, said Melissa Ayers, an ODOT spokeswoman.
According to Wray, all the projects can improve safety, reduce congestion, create job opportunity and improve economic development. The TRAC seeks to fund projects that are "most critical," he said, but the demand for state money far exceeds what ODOT can afford. He said his question about acquiring right of way along I-70 sooner than planned doesn't mean the state will be able to move the project up.
"The line of questioning that I had, had to do with maybe if circumstances change, maybe we can move this up. That doesn't mean we can, but would we like to? Sure," Wray said.
In fiscal 2014, the state had $2.4 billion in projects — the largest ever.
State Rep. Ross McGregor, R-Springfield, said once the first phase of the widening is completed, the desire is to move right into construction on the next phase. Phase one was completed sooner partly because of a transportation bill that allowed Gov. John Kasich to borrow $1.5 billion on the Ohio Turnpike. It's unknown how much money will be available after the next transportation bill is approved, he said.
Schmid left Thursday's meeting hopeful the advisory council wants to keep the project moving.
"(I'm) fairly optimistic based on the questions, but we know that budgets are tight, there's not money out there," he said.
