8
TRANSCRIPT, APRIL 2004 1 (see FMS on page 3) Technology On the Road Helps To Improve Traffic Flow I N APRIL, ODOT LAUNCHED THE FINAL phase of the Columbus Freeway Management System (FMS) – an ad- vanced application of technology which helps motorists avoid traffic problems. The department also plans to bring this technology to other locations across the state over the next decade. “Basically, we are going to deploy these systems in places like Cleveland, Akron/Canton and Toledo,” said Howard Wood, major program manager with Central Office. “We want to take the system to places where we have identi- fied a need for better traffic management – large urban areas with crash and con- gestion problems.” The first phase of the $16 million, “intelligent transportation system” be- came active in 2001, and was placed along Interstate 71 between the corridor’s intersection with Polaris Park- way and Interstate 70 in downtown Co- lumbus. Now, the second and final phase of the system is being installed and when completed, will manage traffic through- out Columbus. The second phase instal- lation is expected to be completed in 2005. During Phase II of the installation, 13 new signs will be placed along interstates 70, 71, 270, 670, State Route 315 and U.S. routes in the Columbus area. ODOT and the city of Columbus will add seven new ramp meters to regulate traffic on congested freeway segments. In addition, 41 new freeway cameras will be added to the 21 already used to monitor traffic. Motorists will be able to use the Internet to view real-time traffic flow from these cameras. The FMS uses a combination of tech- nologies to better manage traffic flow and enable emergency crews to respond to accidents quickly. Pavement sensors embedded in the road and 911 calls from motorists are used to detect traffic slow- downs. Operators at the Columbus Traf- fic Management Center use cameras along the freeway to locate problems and alert emergency road crews. During times of heavy congestion, ramp meters are used to regulate the flow of traffic onto freeways. Motorists are given fore- warning of traffic tie-ups through elec- tronic message signs located along the highway. The signs display information about accidents, travel times, road con- struction and traffic conditions and give travelers a chance to change their routes. “TRAC (The Transportation Review and Advisory Council) has approved of our request for $25 million in funding to establish freeway management systems in the Cleveland area in 2006,” said Wood. “Designs for systems in the Ak- ron/Canton area, Toledo and Dayton will start between fiscal years 2006 and 2008.” The wall of monitors – with cameras and a map displaying speed sensor informa- tion – at the City of Columbus and ODOT’s Traffic Management Center allows cen- tralized supervision of traffic and posting of alerts to keep motorist informed. Ron Poole Central Office photo by Leslie Dellovade, Central Office

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Page 1: Technology On the Road Helps To Improve Traffic Flo · embedded in the road and 911 calls from motorists are used to detect traffic slow-downs. Operators at the Columbus Traf-fic

TRANSCRIPT, APRIL 2004 ★ 1

(see FMS on page 3)

Technology On the RoadHelps To Improve Traffic Flow

IN APRIL, ODOT LAUNCHED THE FINAL

phase of the Columbus FreewayManagement System (FMS) – an ad-

vanced application of technology whichhelps motorists avoid traffic problems.The department also plans to bring thistechnology to other locations across thestate over the next decade.

“Basically, we are going to deploythese systems in places like Cleveland,Akron/Canton and Toledo,” saidHoward Wood, major program managerwith Central Office. “We want to take thesystem to places where we have identi-fied a need for better traffic management– large urban areas with crash and con-gestion problems.”

The first phase of the $16 million,“intelligent transportation system” be-came active in 2001, and was placedalong Interstate 71 between thecorridor’s intersection with Polaris Park-way and Interstate 70 in downtown Co-lumbus. Now, the second and final phaseof the system is being installed and whencompleted, will manage traffic through-out Columbus. The second phase instal-lation is expected to be completed in2005.

During Phase II of the installation, 13new signs will be placed along interstates70, 71, 270, 670, State Route 315 andU.S. routes in the Columbus area. ODOTand the city of Columbus will add sevennew ramp meters to regulate traffic oncongested freeway segments. In addition,41 new freeway cameras will be added tothe 21 already used to monitor traffic.Motorists will be able to use the Internet

to view real-time traffic flow from thesecameras.

The FMS uses a combination of tech-nologies to better manage traffic flowand enable emergency crews to respondto accidents quickly. Pavement sensorsembedded in the road and 911 calls frommotorists are used to detect traffic slow-downs. Operators at the Columbus Traf-fic Management Center use camerasalong the freeway to locate problems andalert emergency road crews. Duringtimes of heavy congestion, ramp metersare used to regulate the flow of trafficonto freeways. Motorists are given fore-warning of traffic tie-ups through elec-

tronic message signs located along thehighway. The signs display informationabout accidents, travel times, road con-struction and traffic conditions and givetravelers a chance to change their routes.

“TRAC (The Transportation Reviewand Advisory Council) has approved ofour request for $25 million in funding toestablish freeway management systemsin the Cleveland area in 2006,” saidWood. “Designs for systems in the Ak-ron/Canton area, Toledo and Dayton willstart between fiscal years 2006 and2008.”

The wall of monitors – with cameras and a map displaying speed sensor informa-tion – at the City of Columbus and ODOT’s Traffic Management Center allows cen-tralized supervision of traffic and posting of alerts to keep motorist informed.

Ron PooleCentral Office

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2 ★ TRANSCRIPT, APRIL 2004

Joel HuntCentral Office

Work Zone SafetyAwareness Week

THE FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRA-tion, state departments of transpor-tation, and several trade groups

used their collective voices this month totell motorists to slow down in construc-tion zones.

The message was part of NationalWork Zone Safety Awareness Week(NWZSAW). ODOT Director GordonProctor said in addition to raising aware-ness through work zone safety events,

ODOT focuses on reducing work zonecongestion to decrease crashes.

Last year there were 7,265 work zonecrashes in Ohio: 1,055 people were in-jured and 16 people died. Despite thesafety warnings, the number of crashesincreased by 11 percent from 2002 - atrend ODOT is working to reverse.

“The department spends about $30million annually to maintain more lanesof traffic, speed the pace of constructionand conduct more work on weekends andnights when fewer people are on theroad,” Proctor said. “In addition, ODOTemploys full-time work zone managers todesign and monitor work zones and istesting new materials to make signs,pavement markings and other warningdevices more visible at night or in wetconditions.”

This year, the department will alsotest the use of speed trailers in workzones to get motorists’ attention.

While construction and maintenanceworkers are at obvious risk, federal sta-tistics indicate motorists and passengersare four times more likely to be injuredor killed. The most common causes of

crashes are follow-ing too close, fail-ure to yield andspeeding. Manywork zone crashesoccur at inter-changes wheremotorists aremerging onto thehighway.

NWZSAW isheld each spring toraise awareness ofthe dangers ofwork zonesthrough news con-ferences, specialevents, and adver-tising.

‘Big Dig’ Conference

THE RECENT CONFERENCE ON BOSTON’S

“Big Dig” project provided insights on what ODOT may experi-

ence as the department enters its “mega-project” era.

When tunnel workers in Boston en-countered unstable earth that threatenedthe completion of the Central Artery/Tunnel Project – and lives – they took ahard-nosed approach to fixing the prob-lem. Through a system of pipes, a lot ofbrine, and several weeks, they froze theearth until they could safely build the tun-nel.

It was that kind of innovation that in-spired the Federal Highway Administra-tion (FHWA) to create a program on In-novations and Advancements to helpstates deliver mega-projects likeBoston’s Central Artery Tunnel Project

on-time and on-budget.ODOT and FHWA co-hosted the Big

Dig program at ODOT’s Central Officeauditorium this month. More than 100people from ODOT, FHWA, local gov-ernments and the consulting communityattended the two-day conference. Theprogram was also seen around state bythe public and private sectors throughWebcast and video conferencing.

Gov. Taft’s Jobs and Progress Plan,unveiled in August, identified largeprojects in nearly every region of thestate that will be constructed during thenext decade. Projects such as the Inter-state 70 and Interstate 71 split in down-town Columbus, the Cleveland Innerbelt,and the Interstate 75 corridor reconstruc-tion will consist of several phases andeach total several hundred million dol-lars.

Bring Your ChildTo Work Day

THE OHIO DEPARTMENT OF TRANS-portation’s Central Office and theOhio Department of Public Safety

co-hosted Bring Your Child to Work Daythis month. The annual event gives par-ents and guardians the opportunity tobring their children to their workplaceand share with them the rewards andchallengesof a careerin civil ser-vice.

The daykicked offwith a pa-rade featur-ing the WestH i g hS c h o o lBand followed by a presentation by newsanchor Andrea Cambern from WBNSTV in Columbus.

(see CLOSE-UP on page 3)

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“How Would You Like It If Someone Drove Through YourOffice? The People Who Build Our Highways Work WhereYou Drive.” This message was used to illustrate the impor-tance of driving safely through construction as part of partFHWA’s National Work Zone Awareness Week.

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TRANSCRIPT, APRIL 2004 ★ 3

A host of activities were offeredthroughout the day including demonstra-tions from ODOT’s Traffic ManagementCenter and the District 6 First Team, aspecial performance from M&MProduction’s Mime Dancers, and a scav-enger hunt.

Hungarian Delegate

EVERY FEW YEARS, DELEGATES FROM

Ohio and Hungary traverse theAtlantic Ocean to exchange ideas

on how best to build and maintain roads.This spring, Sandor Arki, technology di-rector for Baranya County in the south-ern part of Hungary, spent four weeks inOhio learning about Ohio’s bridge man-agement and roadway maintenance;safety program; cooperation with busi-nesses and municipalities; and roadwayoperations.

It may be more than 4,500 milesaway, but Hungary is similar to Ohio interms of climate, population, and squaremileage. Although the country has sig-nificantly less traffic than Ohio, the Fed-eral Highway Administration (FHWA)wanted to compare how an Eastern Blockcountry and the United States addressedsimilar problems, so it created the Tech-nology Transfer Program.

In addition to Arki’s trips to districts1, 5, and 7, he saw the Maumee RiverCrossing project in District 2, theMahoning bridges in District 4, and theFreeway Management System, SinglePoint Urban Interchange, Spring

Sandusky Interchange project, and theInterstate 670 “Cap” in District 6.

This was the native Hungarian’s firsttrip east of London. “Ohio’s road main-tenance is very good,” said Arki. “I sawWest Virginia’s, Pennsylvania’s, andNew York’s, and I like Ohio’s best. I likeOhio’s guide signs and phased construc-tion.” He also praised ODOT’s efforts tocontrol vegetation through mowing andherbicides.

Arki added, “I like the maintenancein Ohio, but I saw Ohio’s money is notenough. For example, [there was] goodpavement on [bridge] approaches, but[there were] potholes in some of thedecks.”

By the time his visit wrapped up, Arkihad amassed information on ODOT’s In-telligent Transportation System, Free-

CLOSE-UP (from page 2)

FMS (from page 1)

When completed next year, the FMSin Columbus will have additional uses. Itcan be deployed by state and local lawenforcement to send out messages formissing children in central Ohio, and canbe a helpful tool in getting messages tothe public during disasters. The systemwill help to improve safety and mobilityin central Ohio by providing key infor-mation about traffic patterns to motorists.

“As it becomes more difficult to ex-pand our highways to accommodate

During his recent visit to Ohio, Sandor Arki, a director of technology from BaranyaCounty in Hungary, discussed the Technology Transfer Program with Leonard E.Brown, from ODOT’s Local Technical Assistance Program.

growth, we’re find-ing creative ways tomove more peopleand goods on ourexisting streets andhighways,” saidJack Marchbanks,ODOT District 6deputy director.“Technology isc o n t i n u o u s l ychanging the waywe commute inOhio.”

Electronic message signs, like this one on Interstate 71 southheading toward Columbus, display information about acci-dents, travel times, road construction and traffic conditions.

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way Service Patrols, Maintenance ofTraffic Policy, County Work Plan, Win-ter Plan, and Ohio Safe Commute pro-gram. At the top of the pile, though, wasinformation on ODOT’s OrganizationalPerformance Index – a program he hopesto begin using in Hungary.

In 2002, ODOT Director GordonProctor and Local Technical AssistanceProgram Deputy Director (then FHWAdivision administrator) Leonard E.Brown, and others traveled to Hungaryfor nearly two weeks as delegates for theTechnology Transfer Program. Thegroup visited Gyor in the northwesternpart of Hungary.

Rhode Island, Virginia, the CzechRepublic, and Slovakia also participatein FHWA’s Technology Transfer Pro-gram.

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4 ★ TRANSCRIPT, APRIL 2004

Safety Cable

T HE INSTALLATION OF A WIRE ROPE

safety fence on Interstate 75 in But-ler and Warren counties has elimi-

nated the rash of head-on collisions alongthe highway. Between October 2000 andDecember 2001, 11 people died as a re-sult of crossover accidents on I-75 be-tween Hamilton-Mason Road and StateRoute 73. While the cables have sustainedmore than 40 hits, there have been nocrossover fatalities since the cables wereinstalled.

The cause of the head-on collisionsalong this stretch of I-75 was unclear.According to accident investiga-tors, the road surface was notfaulty, the terrain was level,there were no curves, and visibil-ity was excellent. Frustrated,transportation engineerssearched for a solution.

Their research led them to a prod-uct known as a wire rope safety fence. Al-though the technology was new to theUnited States, it had been successfullyused in Europe and Australia, and morethan 30 countries worldwide. It had alsobeen approved for use in the United Statesby the Federal Highway Administration.

“The cables were the right mix ofquality, safety, and efficiency,” said Dis-trict 8 Deputy Director Mike Flynn.

The safety fence consists of fourcables, each tested to a minimum break-

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8

A Century of Progress:The Department’s MissionEvolves With Time

Ron Poole, Central Office

WHEN THE OHIO DEPARTMENT OF

Highways was created by alegislative act in 1904, its pur-

pose was defined as one of education.ODOH was to study the physical makeupof highways and their repair. Under theguidance of the first commissioner, SamHuston of Steubenville, the four-personoffice prepared research on the early roadsystem. By 1910, ODOH reported Ohiohad 14,188 miles of gravel roads, 9,688miles of roads paved with crushed stones,and 231 miles of brick-paved roads. Thisleft 64,755 miles of roads – or 73 percentof all roads in the state – made only ofdirt.

With the use of the automobile on therise across America, Ohio’s roadway sys-tem needed to change to effectively sus-tain increased use. Introduced at aroundthe turn of the 20th century, the numberof automobiles, trucks and buses on thestreets of the United States rose from8,000 in 1901 to more than 78,000 by1905. By 1910,more than470,000 motor-ized vehicleswere cruisingthe nation andmore were com-ing. The rise ofthis personaland increasinglyc o m m e r c i a lform of trans-portation de-manded dependable and durable roadswith smooth surfaces. In short, Ohioneeded a modern road system. And anagency to oversee its construction.

Two acts of the state legislature – the1910 the Braun Act and the McGuire Billin 1911 – addressed those concerns.Braun formally gave the state the author-ity to repair and maintain existing countyroads. The McGuire Bill then officiallygave ODOH the authority to initiate andoversee the construction of new roads.

The McGuire Bill also contained a stat-ute which established a statewide systemof county highways patterned after thestate of New York’s growing system. Thebill’s language stated the ODOH Com-missioner and his deputies:

“. . . shall designate by name andnumber the main roads of the state whichshall be known as the ‘Inter-county High-ways,’ and the parts thereof in eachcounty shall be designated so as to formas near as practicable continuous andconnected highways within the county.”

With those words, the departmentgained a new mission, and its days ofsimply studying the roads in Ohio wereover.

But a new mission brings new dimen-sions of politics, funding and public in-terest. Right after the goal to establish ahighway system was defined, a state bondissue of $50 million to build this systemwas defeated in 1912. Very little con-struction was done over the next few

years as Ohio-ans seemed tofavor a “pay asyou go” strategyto large scalem a i n t e n a n c eand road build-ing.

On theother hand, agrass roots in-terest in build-ing good roads

was forming. A statewide organizationknown as the “Ohio Good Roads Federa-tion” made studies on the impact of roadsand provided factual information to law-makers regarding needed legislation.More commonly, the cry “Get us out ofthe mud!” was becoming more and morepopular among the members of the grow-ing motoring public tired of driving ondirt roads in the rain.

(see HISTORY on page 5)

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Safety Cable

Governor Donahey and Ohio Departmentof Highways Director Schleshinger on aninspection trip to the Ohio River in 1926.

Ron Mosby, District 8Ron Mosby, District 8

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TRANSCRIPT, APRIL 2004 ★ 5

es Save Lives

ing strength of 39,000 pounds. The postswhich support the wire ropes are collaps-ible, so minimal damage is done to thevehicle when it strikes the posts. The wirerope safety fence at this location was alsocost effective at $1 million to install. “Anadded bonus is the cable rail that has beenplaced in concrete sleeves is easy andquick to repair,” said District 8 TrafficPlanning Engineer Jay Hamilton.

Rumble strips were initially installedon the 14-mile, crash-prone section of I-75. However, this did not solve the prob-

lem as another fatality occurred afterthe strips were installed. Numer-

ous alternatives were suggestedfor the 60-foot wide medianwhere these head on crasheswere occurring – including earthmounds, heavy brush, concretebarriers, double-sided guardrail,

and extra enforcement. However,these potential solutions were expen-

sive.Concrete barriers were projected to

cost $4.5 million, and mounding was es-timated at $2.8 million. The guardrail wasthe least expensive of these alternatives at$1.2 million, but was still more than thesafety fence.

After additional evaluation and testingthe wire rope safety fence was installedlast year and has eliminated the cross overcrashes that plagued this stretch of I-75.

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The department did what it could tofix roads and even took on a new func-tion. In 1917 and 1918, ODOH began thepractice of removing ice and snow fromthe roadways during the winter monthsfor troops and materials moving throughthe state during World War I. The mis-sion to clear the roads became just asimportant for civilian travelers, and it be-came an on-going service.

A few years after the war ended, Ohioelected A. Victor Donahey as its gover-nor. Donahey ran his campaign as “TheFarmer’s Friend” candidate, and prom-ised he would make completing the roadsfarmers needed to get their products tomarket a major priority of his adminis-tration. The governor wanted ODOH toincrease the miles of roadway it could fixby looking at lower cost improvements.“What Ohio needed was more roads at$10,000 permile and fewerroads at$40,000 and$50,000 permile,” saidDonahey.

As of 1923,the departmenthad improvedand/or main-tained morethan 4,200miles of road-way. However,there were stillhundreds ofmiles of un-paved roads. Under Donahey, the depart-ment expanded the state’s paved roadmileage by concentrating on projects thatcost no more than $15,000 per mile.

ODOH began several thousand milesof improvements following a stage-by-stage process: the road bed was first con-ditioned for all-weather travel, then otherimprovements were made as time andfunds permitted. This policy was dubbedas the department’s “Out of the Mud Pro-gram.”

Governor Donahey initiated anotherchange in the department. The governorhad promised during his campaign to

“break” the hold that special building in-terests had on materials used in stateroadway construction. In 1923, he initi-ated a policy of whenever possible ask-ing for bids on at least two kinds of pave-ment for each project. This secured theadvantage of competition in pricing, andopened opportunities to other compa-nies.

As the demand increased to improvethe roadways with wider access, the de-partment faced a funding crisis. In 1925,a two-cent per gallon gasoline levy wasintroduced to supplement the financingof the highway program. The new taxwould help improvements and increaseODOH’s ability to initiate new construc-

tion. Thiswould be fol-lowed by theN o r t o n -Edwards Billpassed by theOhio Assem-bly in 1927.Among otherthings, the billincreased thegas tax by ana d d i t i o n a lcent per gallonand formallymade themaintenanceand improve-

ment of all roads on the state highwaysystem the sole responsibility of ODOH.

The department’s mission trans-formed during its first two decades fromone of study to one of action, and fromone of scientific interest to one of eco-nomic, political and public scrutiny. Thesame influences which shape how the de-partment goes about its mission todaystarted here. Above all, ODOH becamea department very involved with thepeople of Ohio. The growth of the auto-mobile meant every person and everycommunity in Ohio would be serviced bythe department in some form.

HISTORY (from page 4)

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The Ohio Department of Highways began snowand ice removal operations to aid with troopand material mobility during World War I.

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6 ★ TRANSCRIPT, APRIL 2004

TOP Award StatisticsNominations Districts Central Office

Year Received Nominations Nominations2001 26 7 32002 26 7 72003 37 6 22004 50 12 3

Number of NominationsDistrict 2001 2002 2003 2004

1 1 1 0 32 0 0 0 13 2 6 8 64 0 0 0 55 0 0 2 46 1 4 0 17 0 0 10 48 4 1 0 29 3 1 1 7

10 4 4 6 611 0 0 0 112 8 2 8 7

Central Office 3 7 2 3

Ron Poole, Central Office

THE CHARTS TO THE RIGHT HIGHLIGHT

the number of nominations madeby ODOT employees for the To-

tal ODOT Performance (TOP) Awardssince its inception in 2001. Now in itsfourth year, the total number of nomina-tions have grown, and for the first timerepresent participation by Central Officeand all 12 ODOT district offices.

The TOP awards recognize those em-ployees and teams whose outstandingperformances support ODOT’s mission,values and goals.

The TOP Awards will be made at theannual Team-Up ODOT event on May11 in the Rhodes Building at the OhioState Fairgrounds.

Those interested in more informationabout TOP and/or the annual Team-Upevent should contact Carol Schubert(614) 752-5722 or Willa O’Neill (614)466-9967.

MVP Award: Steve Jenkins, PikeCounty Manager – District 9This award is given to an individual whoconsistently demonstrates and encour-ages co-workers to use quality tools andpractices in everyday departmental ac-tivities.

Communication Award: DonnaSlagle, Liaison Officer – District 7This award is given to the employee oremployees who kept co-workers in-formed of current issues within their Dis-trict or Division. This includes writingnewsletters, providing information to aPublic Information Officer, making for-mal presentations, preparing a booth forTeam Up ODOT, or preparing writtenmaterials such as brochures describingnew processes.

Director’s Humanitarian ServiceAward: The Outreach Team – JillPowers, Rick Green, CherylJournigan, Kathy Resek, PaulWasilewski, David Whitely, MarkZaija, Frank Hinkle, Pete McHugh,

Total ODOT Performance (TOP) Awards Update

Don Barth, James Perk, CortezBrowner, Vanessa Sheppard, PricillaCollins, Ed Rahel, Dale Crowl, DaleZydowicz, Deborah Harris, KevinJacobs, Antoinette Griffin, DaveHokin, Billie Baughman – District 12This award is given to the employee oremployees who provided humanitarianservice above and beyond the normalcourse of their job duties.

Employee Mentoring Award:Kevin Jacobs, Transportation Man-ager 2, Danny Thomas, HighwayWorker 2, Jim Anderson, Training Of-ficer – District 12This award is given to an individual forproviding guidance and acting as an ad-visor and role model to another employeewho, as a result, became more produc-tive, more effective and customer fo-cused.

Impact Award: Bill Tallberg, LaborRelations Officer – District 12This award is given to an active QualityCoordinator, Quality Advocate or facili-

tator who exemplified enthusiasm, dedi-cation and loyalty in their efforts, show-ing others the value of using quality toolsand practices, while meeting day-to-daywork expectations.

Outstanding Customer ServiceAward: Craig Hebebrand, ProjectManager – District 12This award is given to an individual orteam whose achievements or actions hada major positive impact on ODOT’s cus-tomers.

Process Improvement Award:High Performance Concrete DeckCracking Investigation Team, DaleCrowl, Michael Sutak, MichaelMalloy, Jeff Lechak – District 12This award is given to an individual orteam for the improvement of an existingprocess or the creation of a new process.Process improvements need to be mea-surable in terms of cost, quality, speed,service and/or safety. The project musthave been implemented during the calen-dar year.

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TRANSCRIPT, APRIL 2004 ★ 7

Y OGI BERRA, FORMER NEW YORK

Yankees player and manager oncesaid, “if there is a fork in the road,

take it.” That fork may be on one ofOhio’s Scenic Byways where travelerscan enjoy a relaxing scenic or historic offthe beaten path trip. Ohio’s 17 bywaysconsist of more than 1,300 miles ofcounty, township and state routes locatedin 52 counties. The byways offer travel-ers an opportunity to get off the busy in-terstates and explore Ohio’s archaeologi-cal, cultural, historic, natural and recre-ational sites.

The 464 miles that make up the OhioRiver Scenic Byway, mainly along StateRoute 7, U.S. Route 52 from EastLiverpool to Cincinnati, provide travel-ers a unique opportunity to see the mightyOhio River and the southern region of thestate up close. The byway is a great wayto discover the importance of water trans-portation and Ohio’s history. Visitors can

State Byways Offer Scenic ExperiencesPaul Staley, Central Office

see how theHannibal Lockand Dam, one ofseveral locksand dams on theriver, enablesbarge traffic tocarry importantcargo such ascoal along theriver. TheRankin Houseand ParkerHouse, locatedin Ripley, pro-vides a historicperspective ofOhio’s contri-bution and sig-nificance to the Underground Railroadmovement. Historic Marietta, the oldestcity in Ohio, is a true river communitywhich offers guests of the city dramatic

views of the Ohio River. From the Cam-pus Martius Museum and Ohio RiverMuseum, Harmar Historic District to thedowntown shops, Marietta offers uniqueamenities.

Other interesting places to visit alongthe Ohio River Scenic Byway include:Serpents Mound in Adams County, U.S.President Ulysses S. Grant’s birthplacein Point Pleasant, Old Fort Steuben inSteubenville, large hand-painted muralson Front Street in Portsmouth, andOhio’s only Civil War battlefield,Buffington Island, located in MeigsCounty.

The state’s newest byway, the 260-mile Lincoln Highway, which followsold U.S. Route 30 from East Liverpoolto Van Wert, in northern Ohio providestravelers interesting opportunities. TheLincoln Highway in many ways capturessmall town Americana with old moviehouses, historic homes, buildings, archi-tecture and tree-line streets. The route’shistoric red, white and blue markers canbe seen along the byway as well as sec-tions of the original brick road.

The entire 3,389 miles of the LincolnHighway starts in New York and ends inSan Francisco. This byway travelsthrough many quaint communities such

Ohio’s Scenic Byways

(see BYWAYS on page 8)

The Guernsey County Courthouse along the Historical Na-tional Road in Cambridge, Ohio.

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8 ★ TRANSCRIPT, APRIL 2004

OHIO DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION1980 W. BROAD ST.COLUMBUS, OHIO 43223(614) 466-7170 (FAX) 644-8662

Visit our Web site athttp://www.dot.state.oh.us

Bob Taft,Governor

Gordon Proctor,ODOT Director

OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONSJ. Brian Cunningham, Editor

Andy Eline, Layout/Design Editor

PRINTED BY THE ODOT PRINT SHOPODOT IS AN EEO EMPLOYER

Feature Photo

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The Ohio River Scenic Byway passing through downtown Pomeroy, in Meigs County, as seen from across the Ohio River.

as Minerva, Hanoverton, Bucyrus,Lisbon, and Van Wert.

Another byway that has many historicfeatures is the Historic National Road,the first road in thenation to have itconstruction com-pletely federallyfunded. The by-way traverses thecentral part of thestate along U.S.Route 40 fromPreble County toBelmont County.The Zane GreyMuseum in Nor-wich, the OhioStatehouse in Co-lumbus, John Glenn’s childhood home inNew Concord, the Blaine Bridge –Ohio’s oldest standing bridge, the Penn-sylvania House in Springfield, the S-bridges, and historic mile markers are

just a few of the many unique attractionsand sites located along the Historic Na-tional Road

For those interested in a truly authen-tic cultural experience visit HolmesCounty and the Amish Country Byway(SR 39, SR 83, SR 241, SR 515, SR 557

and U.S. 62).Amish-made fur-niture and foodcan be foundthroughout thisbeautiful scenicarea, so it is rec-ommended visi-tors bring withthem an emptystomach and a fullwallet.

All 17 OhioByways offer dif-ferent and unique

experiences and remember that by takingthe fork in the road, one may be travelingalong a byway. For further informationabout Ohio Byways visitwww.ohiobyways.com.

BYWAYS (from page 7)