First Posted: 3/31/2015
LIMA — State roadways in the Lima area will continue to be in various stages of reconstruction over the next four years.
The District 1 Ohio Department of Transportation held an open house at the Lima Allen County Regional Planning Commission on Tuesday, highlighting all the projects scheduled to be bid out and constructed during the next four years. It is the third straight year that reconstruction projects have been running slightly above average in both the district and the state, which includes Allen, Hardin, Wyandot, Van Wert, Hancock, Putnam, Defiance and Paulding counties.
“We usually average about $1.5 billion statewide on these projects,” said ODOT District 1 Planning and Engineering Administrator Daniel Kaseman. “In fiscal years 2014 and 2015 we ran slightly over $2 billion. For fiscal year 2016, which begins in July 2015, we have just under $2 billion in projects.”
Kaseman said the open house is required every two years. He said 2016 would be the busiest of the next four years in Allen County. Included in the first year is an intersection improvement at state Route 117 and state Route 501. This intersection stirred interest last year because of possible right-of-way needs that would have possibly eliminated a church at the intersection.
“We were able to engineer a plan that did not require removal of the church,” Kaseman said.
Kaseman said there were no other major complaints or controversies with any other projects in the district.
Other Allen County projects in the first year include resurfacing work and drainage improvements on state Route 81 on the east end of Lima and a major rewidening on state Route 309 from Delphos to Lima. The work will widen the road from 10 feet to 12 feet. The area will also be resurfaced and with drainage improvements and sidewalks in several areas. All streets in Lima and Spencerville will be improved as part of the Safe Routes to School program. All Lima bike lanes will also be reconstructed and four bridges will be replaced in the county Road 222/township Road 87/township Road 108 area.
More detailed information about the projects is available at http://j.mp/1CJYeHr.
