NEW PHIALDELPHIA, OHIO -- With $149 million in transportation infrastructure investments planned for eastern Ohio this year, the Ohio Department of Transportation's (ODOT) District 11 kicked off its 2009 Construction Season today, highlighted by over 90 projects in the seven-county region.

More than $1.9 billion will be spent this year on Ohio’s transportation system – the largest investment in state history – on more than 650 roadway and bridge projects in each region of the state.

ODOT District 11 Deputy Director Richard Bible, P.E. said, “Eastern Ohio’s 2009 Construction Season will include 252 miles of resurfacing, 43 bridge or culvert replacements, and dozens of other major investments, ranging from new interchange and roadway construction and safety improvements to multi-modal projects along our waterways, such as the completion of the overhead bridge crane and conveyor system rendering the Columbiana County Port Authority’s Wellsville Intermodal Facility along the Ohio River fully operational as an intermodal freight hub.”

At least 65 additional “shovel ready” transportation infrastructure projects in the state, four in District 11, – impacting highways, bridges, railroads, airports, and shipyards – will also get underway this season, funded in-full or in-part by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

“The 2009 construction season will be the first of two years of historic investment in Ohio’s transportation system as we leverage state resources with federal transportation funds and stimulus dollars,” said ODOT Director Jolene M. Molitoris. “As more of the stimulus-funded projects are made ready for construction both this year and next, we will put thousands of Ohioans to work maintaining and modernizing roads and bridges, building railroad, maritime, and airport infrastructure, and creating enhancement and streetscape projects.”

Other major roadway projects in eastern Ohio this season include:

Bellaire State Route 149 Relocation: Work continues this year on the two mile, major relocation of SR 149 near Bellaire in Belmont County. This $6.1 million project began in July 2008 and is expected to be completed next year.

Columbiana County U.S. Route 30 and State Route 11 Resurfacing: With an investment of $10.6 million, ODOT will resurface over 10 miles of two major, four-lane highways through Columbiana County. Over four miles of U.S. 30 will be resurfaced from County Road 451 to the city of East Liverpool, and over six miles of SR 11 will be resurfaced from just north of the SR 154 Interchange to the SR 164 overpass.

Harrison County U.S. Route 22 Resurfacing: ODOT will invest $3.9 million in Harrison County by resurfacing almost four miles of U.S. 22 from just east of the SR 151 Exit near Hopedale to the Jefferson County line.

Safety Improvements near West Holmes High School: Work will be completed this summer on the intersection improvements at SR 39, SR 60, and SR 754 near West Holmes High School in Holmes County. Work began last summer on the $2.5 million project to improve safety in the area.

State Route 39 Roadway Improvements at Dover: Work will also be completed on SR 39 at the Dover Interchange. Work began last spring on the $6.4 million project to improve safety and reduce congestion from I-77 in Tuscarawas County to Renner Road.

Interstate 77 Resurfacing in Tuscarawas County: Investing almost $9 million, ODOT will resurface over eight miles of I-77 from just south of Stone Creek to just north of Exit 81 at New Philadelphia.

New Interstate 77 Interchange at Dover: To relieve congestion at the existing I-77 interchanges in Dover and Strasburg and accommodate business growth at the north end of Dover, ground will be broken later this year for a new $19 million interchange off I-77 at County Road 80 in Dover, Tuscarawas County. Work is expected to take two years to complete.

“All of the projects this season speak to the important transportation needs of our citizens, communities and businesses, while creating jobs and positioning Ohio for long-term economic growth and stability,” said District 11 Deputy Director Bible. “With these investments, we are moving Ohio into a prosperous new world.”

Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, ODOT District 11 was allocated $20.8 million in transportation stimulus funds which will be invested in 10 transportation projects. Statewide, ODOT received $774 million in transportation stimulus funds to be invested in 149 transportation projects. Combined, the stimulus resources and ODOT’s planned construction spending will total more than $2.8 billion over the next 15 months.

Ohio motorists can keep up-to-date on when construction projects will impact their travels by logging on to www.BuckeyeTraffic.org, ODOT’s 24-hour online source for road and traffic conditions.