After its approval through the Ohio Legislature, Gov. Mike DeWine has officially signed the state’s two-year, $11 billion transportation budget. The budget will go into effect July 1, 2025.
The budget places a major emphasis on critical transportation infrastructure projects, allocating more than 90% of the $11 billion to maintain a safe highway system and programs. These projects will prioritize maintaining, preserving and improving:
- Roads.
- Bridges.
- Culverts.
- Signals.
- Lights.
- Snow and ice operations.
The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) will also increase the allocation for the Highway Safety Improvement Program from $185 million to $191 million for Fiscal Years 2026 and 2027. To provide trucks with additional alternatives to illegally parking on road shoulders, ODOT will spend $150 million to study and build more truck parking lots. The state has identified a pressing need to provide adequate truck parking lots along state-owned land and highways to prevent accidents and deaths.
ODOT will establish the Division of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) to integrate AAM capabilities into the state’s existing public service networks. Designed to increase public and national security, the AAM Division will be tasked with:
- Creating an operational state-based AAM air traffic management system.
- Integrating the state system with the existing federal air traffic management system.
- Developing AAM tracking and information infrastructure.
- Establishing AAM overflight and liability regulations.
- Supporting solutions for public safety departments and services.
The AAM Division will be located at the National Advanced Air Mobility Center of Excellence in Springfield. It will operate alongside ODOT’s Uncrewed Aircraft Systems Center.
(Photo courtesy of Scott from Pixabay.)
