COLUMBUS, OH — Governor Mike DeWine and the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) 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.”
For more than 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 6th 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 percent 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,” ODOT Director Pamela Boratyn said. “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.”
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In just the past five years, Ohio has seen major investments from companies like Intel, Amazon, Google, Meta, Honda, PharmaVite, Anduril Industries, Joby, and others. These companies are choosing Ohio due to workforce, location, and quality of life. However, each of these things rely 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.
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.
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ODOT analyzed risks associated with congestion in seven geographic/economic regions and studied interregional connections along six focus corridors. These corridors included Toledo to Columbus and Sandusky to Columbus, as specified in Ohio House Bill 23. They specifically examined how these corridors will meet travel needs over the next 10, 20, and 30 years.
