MAASTO SELECTS ODOT PROJECT AMONG REGIONAL AWARD WINNERS
The Ohio Department of Transportation’s (ODOT) Norwood Lateral Rehabilitation project was selected among 11 award winners in the Mid-America Association of State Transportation Officials (MAASTO) regional competition.
The regional competition is part of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) America’s Transportation Awards that highlight transportation projects delivering meaningful community benefits.
ODOT’s Norwood Lateral Rehabilitation project won MAASTO’s Operations Excellence honor in the Medium Project Category. The ODOT District 8 project was one of 21 projects submitted in the 10-state MAASTO competition.
Projects were judged in four categories, which also included Quality of Life/Community Development, Best Use of Technology & Innovation and Safety, and three size categories – Small (projects up to $10 million), Medium ($10 million to $100 million) and Large (more than $100 million).
ODOT undertook the $21-million major Norwood Lateral Rehabilitation project in 2024. The rehabilitation of the key east-west connector between Interstates 71 and 75 included resurfacing and rehabilitating three mainline bridges over busy local roads in Hamilton County.
Facing logistical and engineering challenges, which included complex bridge geometry, underlying roadways and railroads and high-traffic volumes, the project team implemented two, 90-day full-directional closures.
The result was improved safety, an accelerated timeline and reduced cost. While causing short-term inconvenience, the closure enabled more-efficient construction, better quality control and long-term benefits for the traveling public.
Damaged pavement on the Norwood Lateral/State Route 562 was quickly repaired to ensure a smooth, long-lasting surface. The improvements, including a new road surface with updated markings, provided a more rideable, aesthetically improved and structurally sound corridor, which preserved a vital artery and saved millions of dollars in future maintenance.
Other ODOT projects among the 21 nominated for the MAASTO competition were the S.R. 53 Corridor Improvement “Gateway to the Islands” Project in the Quality of Life/Community Development Category and the S.R. 32 Green T Intersection Project in the Safety Category.
Among the regional winners in the America’s Awards, ODOT is competing to be among the top three MAASTO projects – based on overall scores – to advance to the “Top 12” America’s Awards finalist list.
Announced in November in Salt Lake City, a Grand Prize winner will be chosen by an independent panel of judges, while the People’s Choice Award will be decided through online public voting. Each winning project owner will receive $10,000 to donate to a scholarship fund or charitable cause of their choice.
OHIO TURNPIKE COMMISSION WINS 2025 IBTTA TOLL EXCELLENCE AWARD
The Ohio Turnpike & Infrastructure Commission (OTIC) was honored by the International Bridge, Tunnel & Turnpike Association (IBTTA) as one of nine winners in the 2025 Toll Excellence and the Outreach, Opportunity and Engagement awards competition.
The honors, which were to be awarded at the 93rd IBTTA Annual Meeting & Exhibition in mid-October in Denver, celebrate innovation and best practices across the global tolling and user-fee transportation sector.
OTIC is this year’s winner of the Customer Service & Marketing Outreach Award for its efforts in “Raising Awareness About Toll Text Scams.”
OTIC was recognized for its response, beginning in April 2024, to a nationwide “smishing” scheme impersonating toll agencies and attempting to collect fraudulent toll charges. OTIC deployed Scam Alerts to more than 600,000 E-ZPass customers, issued news releases and leveraged social and traditional media to warn drivers how to spot and report fraudulent texts.
OTIC’s efforts provided customers with clear instructions, restoring confidence and providing a model other agencies can replicate.
Other agencies recognized this year in the IBTAA Toll Excellence Awards program were Illinois Tollway, Central Florida Expressway Authority, MTA Bridges & Tunnels (New York City), Kansas Turnpike Authority, Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority, TransCore and Valerann.
“Each year, the Toll Excellence Awards get more competitive, and 2025 is no exception,” said IBTTA President James Hofmann, executive director/CEO of the North Texas Tollway Authority. “These winners showcase the very best in innovation, creativity and impact — improving safety, strengthening operations, advancing technology and building stronger connections with the communities we serve.”
Founded in 1932, the IBTTA is a worldwide association with members in more than 20 countries and six continents.
OHIO TURNPIKE CELEBRATES 70
October marks the 70th anniversary of the Ohio Turnpike, as the 241-mile east-west route through the northern part of the state opened to traffic Oct. 1, 1955.
According to an article by Cleveland.com, “70 Years in the Fast Lane: How Ohio Turnpike Changed Travel Forever,” when it opened, the Ohio Turnpike’s smooth pavement, wide shoulders and no intersections cut more than five hours off the time for truckers to cross the state and three hours for “family drivers.”
Prior to the Ohio Turnpike’s opening, “cross-state driving was often a grind. Routes wound through town, where stoplights and stop signs slowed travelers.”
Construction of the Ohio Turnpike, from its groundbreaking on Oct. 27, 1952 to opening to traffic within three years, included 10,000 workers, 2,300 pieces of equipment, 7 million square yards of concrete, 64,000 tons of steel and 2.5 million feet of fencing.
From its opening day of 44,000 vehicles, the Ohio Turnpike handled more than 56.1 million vehicles in 2024. Last year, the Turnpike generated $147.6 million in tolls for passenger cars and $240.8 million for trucks.
Just as the number of motorists benefiting from traveling the Ohio Turnpike has increased, so has the price of tolls. The original cost to drive the Turnpike was $3 for automobiles and $30 for the largest trucks; today the fees for E-Z Pass motorists begin at $15.50 for automobiles and as much as $152.25 for trucks.
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