ODOT Schedules November 2026 Completion for US 42 and Industrial Parkway Safety Upgrades

Contractors for the Ohio Department of Transportation are advancing toward a scheduled Nov. 1, 2026, completion milestone on an intersection safety project at U.S. Route 42 and Industrial Parkway in Jerome Township. The busy junction serves as a primary travel artery in southern Union County, linking Plain City and Marysville commuters with the broader Columbus metropolitan area. State transportation records designate the undertaking as State Project 250263 and Project ID 107822, cataloged as UNI US 42 3.91. ODOT District 6 planning and engineering officials designed and sponsored the project using dedicated state highway safety funds, setting the total construction cost at $7,959,354.26.

Following formal letting administered directly by ODOT, the state awarded the primary construction contract to The Shelly Company on May 30, 2025. Field crews initiated physical construction in June 2025 under state contract schedule milestones. The ongoing earthwork and drainage modifications are supported by an Ohio EPA stormwater copermittee permit issued to The Shelly Company in July 2025 for site construction at the intersection.

The safety overhaul addresses accelerating commercial freight and commuter traffic across southeastern Union County. Engineering plans deliver dedicated turn lanes on all four legs of the intersection, ensuring turning motorists no longer block through traffic along U.S. 42 or Industrial Parkway. Crews are also installing upgraded traffic signals configured to safely manage protected turning movements and alleviate peak rush-hour backups between local residential subdivisions and major industrial employment centers.

Beyond the immediate intersection, the state contract widens U.S. 42 to five lanes between Industrial Parkway and U.S. Route 33, creating two through lanes in each direction alongside a continuous center turn lane. The widening expands vital arterial capacity leading directly to the U.S. 33 corridor, where commuters bound for Dublin and Columbus routinely encounter morning congestion. Regional planning records from the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission highlight these intersection improvements as critical infrastructure supporting broader corridor growth. MORPC documents note that the surrounding corridor serves approximately 1,000 acres of existing development and prepares another 1,300 acres along U.S. 33 for future development, with local coordination involving the Union County Engineer and the Union County Transportation Improvement District.

While ODOT records specify Nov. 1, 2026, as the required contractual milestone, transportation officials emphasize that administrative completion dates differ from day-to-day driving conditions. As the deadline nears, area commuters should expect temporary, off-peak lane closures and shoulder restrictions during final asphalt resurfacing, traffic loop sensor installation, and permanent thermoplastic pavement striping. ODOT engineering guidelines require punch-list inspections, signal timing acceptance tests, and roadside turf restoration before formal sign-off, maintaining active work zones until state inspectors verify all operational and safety requirements.