Orange barrel season is in full swing across Ohio — and this year, it’s breaking records.
The Ohio Department of Transportation says the price tag for Ohio road construction projects for the 2026 construction season is an estimated $3.4 billion.
“There's an absolute reason for these projects,” said ODOT District 4 Spokesperson Ray Marsch. “(For example), in Munroe Falls, the bridge deck (on Route 91) needed replaced. That's not something that happens every single year, and we’re going to get many years out of it. It's all long-term solutions to these issues.”
In Northeast Ohio, this construction season includes 231 projects, 175 of which are new, at a combined cost of $891 million.
The 2025 construction season included 213 projects in Northeast Ohio, 172 of which were new for the year.
The largest project underway in Northeast Ohio is the multi-year reconstruction of the Central Interchange in Downtown Cleveland between East Ninth Street and Carnegie Avenue. The $328 million project, which includes aesthetic improvements, pavement replacement and the reconstruction of five bridges, is expected to be completed in 2032.
Another big project underway is the $173 million reconstruction of Interstate 90 between Hilliard Boulevard and West Boulevard on Cleveland’s West Side, which includes pavement, median and lighting replacements.
“Safety is probably the number one thing that's driving a lot of these projects,” said Jim Pajk, Ohio advocacy captain at the American Society of Civil Engineers. “I think that that's high up on everyone's list. These safety projects need to happen.”
Construction season typically lasts through the fall, so Marsch advised motorists to stay alert and check OHGO and ODOT's website for traffic advisories.
"It's imperative that you plan ahead, so you know a possible detour route or if there's lane restrictions," Marsch said. "Give yourself extra time to get through construction sites."
Each year, the ASCE releases a report card on the infrastructure in every state. In 2025, Ohio received a D+ grade for its roads and an overall infrastructure grade of C. According to the report card, Ohio’s roadways have seen “steady improvement” over the past four years, especially in the interstate system.
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act signed by President Joe Biden in November 2021 mobilized $1.2 trillion for infrastructure improvements across the country.
The ASCE’s report card for Ohio’s infrastructure credited funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, as it’s commonly referred to, and recent increases in state funding for improved road conditions in Ohio.
However, Pajk cautioned that rising maintenance and construction costs may pose long-term funding challenges.
“Everybody right now is struggling just with funding,” Pajk said. “[We] have to prioritize. ‘OK, we wanted to do these five projects. Maybe now we're only going to have money to do the four.’”
The infrastructure law expires in September. Pajk expressed concern that its expiration would slow the state’s momentum of addressing its infrastructure needs.
“We’re seeing a lot of projects getting built now, but now we have to keep that momentum going because there's still more projects out there that need to be designed, need to be built,” Pajk said. “We just can't turn the switch and do that in a year. It takes much more time than that.”
