COLUMBUS – Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced Monday that he is increasing Ohio’s yearly funding allocation for local bridge projects by $47.5 million for the next five years, bringing Ohio’s annual investment in county and municipal bridges to $112.5 million per year.
Funding provided by the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) for bridges maintained by the state’s 88 county engineers will increase from $34 million to $74 million annually, and municipal-owned bridge funding will increase from $11 million to $18.5 million each year.
The additional $47.5 million is part of the $104 million in bridge funding that Ohio will receive in each of the next five years as part of the recently enacted federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The law requires Ohio to invest $15.6 million of the $104 million each year into bridges owned by municipalities, townships, and counties, but Governor DeWine’s announcement today more than triples the amount going to local communities.
“Many of the expensive repairs needed on small, locally-owned bridges cost far beyond what our communities can afford, which is why I’ve directed ODOT to devote more money to support local bridge projects,” DeWine said. “By partnering together to ensure the necessary improvements are made, those driving over Ohio’s bridges can feel confident that they are safe.”
DeWine also announced that small locally-owned bridges will also be eligible for funding as part of ODOT’s Local Major Bridge Program, bringing the total number of eligible bridges from 54 to 238. The program pays for up to 80 percent of the construction and engineering costs for major bridge projects with a cap of $20 million.
“ODOT will continue to aggressively address bridges throughout the state that are under our jurisdiction while at the same time doing everything we can to ensure our local partners have the resources they need to address their most critical issues,” ODOT Director Jack Marchbanks said.
Local governments can apply for ODOT funding through the ODOT Office of Local Programs website. Ohio’s 88 County Engineers will continue to apply for funding through dedicated programs managed by the County Engineers Association of Ohio.
ODOT’s total local bridge investment of $112.5 million in each of the next five years combines the new federal funding with other programs that aid local governments. The total investment for both state and local bridges is $407.5 million per year.
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