ODOT Extends U.S. 23 Work Zone Record Through October Following South Bloomfield Paving
An automated state work zone notice extends scheduled lane restrictions through Oct. 31 for punch-list work and striping after village officials confirmed mainline asphalt resurfacing is finished.
The Ohio Department of Transportation has updated its public work zone records to extend scheduled lane restrictions on U.S. Route 23 through October 31, 2026. The entry covers a 0.717-mile corridor along South Walnut Street between State Route 752 and State Route 316 in South Bloomfield, Pickaway County, where motorists and commercial freight haulers have encountered construction barrels and reduced lanes for months.
Yet the automated state record—which ODOT’s system flags with unverified start and end dates—contrasts with recent local announcements. In late September, South Bloomfield Mayor Aaron Thomas announced in the village newsletter that the state had completed the final surface paving of U.S. 23. The extended work zone window does not signal ongoing mainline paving delays, but instead accommodates remaining punch-list work, permanent striping, and traffic signal adjustments before the corridor is formally cleared.
Two Overlapping Corridors
Understanding the schedule requires separating two interrelated infrastructure initiatives along South Walnut Street that have frequently been conflated by passing drivers.
The first was the Village of South Bloomfield’s municipal road-widening project. Sponsored by the village as lead agency alongside the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission, Pickaway County, ODOT, and the Ohio Public Works Commission, the initiative carried an estimated cost of $3 million to $4 million, according to the MORPC Project Profile (documentRef ff1bb743-bbee-390a-9d89-535a60cc5a8b, Original Page 1). South Bloomfield awarded the construction contract in March 2025 to Boss Excavating, which widened approximately 1,800 feet of roadway, installed a continuous center double left-turn lane, replaced drainage infrastructure, buried overhead utility lines, and rebuilt side streets. Boss Excavating finished most of that municipal road widening before Thanksgiving 2025.
The second initiative is ODOT District 6's roadway resurfacing project (PID 118853), a $550,000 state-administered contract paved by The Shelly Company. Because placing final surface asphalt over raw utility cuts heading into winter risked premature cracking, the state deferred intermediate and surface paving until 2026 to complete the corridor.
Late-August Asphalt Defect
The final phase encountered an unexpected setback late in the summer. In late August, ODOT inspectors discovered that a newly placed section of intermediate asphalt was defective. The substandard layer—stretching across part of the inside lane and center turn lane roughly from the Dollar General store south to the end of the project—failed state compaction and quality specifications.
State officials required The Shelly Company to mill out the faulty pavement and re-lay the intermediate course. Because of that required rework and heavy traffic forecasts over the Labor Day holiday weekend, ODOT decided not to begin placing the final surface course until crews could return after the holiday break.
Reconciling the Final Timeline
Paving crews returned following Labor Day to complete the final asphalt lift. With the smooth top course down, Mayor Thomas confirmed that ODOT finished the mainline asphalt work. Under the joint arrangement, the village funded half the cost of the center turn lane while the state covered the remaining share.
Thomas has since met with ODOT District 6 leadership and Pickaway County officials to advocate for further safety initiatives under the Protect Pickaway Alliance. Although mainline paving is done, ODOT’s automated feed continues to register the work zone through Oct. 31 to provide a legal traffic management buffer while crews complete minor punch-list tasks, install permanent thermal markings, and fine-tune signal detection.
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The Ohio Department of Transportation has updated its public work zone records to extend scheduled lane restrictions on U.S. Route 23 through October 31, 2026. The entry covers a 0.717-mile corridor along South Walnut Street between State Route 752 and State Route 316 in South Bloomfield, Pickaway County, where motorists and commercial freight haulers have encountered construction barrels and reduced lanes for months.
Yet the automated state record—which ODOT’s system flags with unverified start and end dates—contrasts with recent local announcements. In late September, South Bloomfield Mayor Aaron Thomas announced in the village newsletter that the state had completed the final surface paving of U.S. 23. The extended work zone window does not signal ongoing mainline paving delays, but instead accommodates remaining punch-list work, permanent striping, and traffic signal adjustments before the corridor is formally cleared.
Two Overlapping Corridors
Understanding the schedule requires separating two interrelated infrastructure initiatives along South Walnut Street that have frequently been conflated by passing drivers.
The first was the Village of South Bloomfield’s municipal road-widening project. Sponsored by the village as lead agency alongside the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission, Pickaway County, ODOT, and the Ohio Public Works Commission, the initiative carried an estimated cost of $3 million to $4 million, according to the MORPC Project Profile (documentRef ff1bb743-bbee-390a-9d89-535a60cc5a8b, Original Page 1). South Bloomfield awarded the construction contract in March 2025 to Boss Excavating, which widened approximately 1,800 feet of roadway, installed a continuous center double left-turn lane, replaced drainage infrastructure, buried overhead utility lines, and rebuilt side streets. Boss Excavating finished most of that municipal road widening before Thanksgiving 2025.
The second initiative is ODOT District 6's roadway resurfacing project (PID 118853), a $550,000 state-administered contract paved by The Shelly Company. Because placing final surface asphalt over raw utility cuts heading into winter risked premature cracking, the state deferred intermediate and surface paving until 2026 to complete the corridor.
Late-August Asphalt Defect
The final phase encountered an unexpected setback late in the summer. In late August, ODOT inspectors discovered that a newly placed section of intermediate asphalt was defective. The substandard layer—stretching across part of the inside lane and center turn lane roughly from the Dollar General store south to the end of the project—failed state compaction and quality specifications.
State officials required The Shelly Company to mill out the faulty pavement and re-lay the intermediate course. Because of that required rework and heavy traffic forecasts over the Labor Day holiday weekend, ODOT decided not to begin placing the final surface course until crews could return after the holiday break.
Reconciling the Final Timeline
Paving crews returned following Labor Day to complete the final asphalt lift. With the smooth top course down, Mayor Thomas confirmed that ODOT finished the mainline asphalt work. Under the joint arrangement, the village funded half the cost of the center turn lane while the state covered the remaining share.
Thomas has since met with ODOT District 6 leadership and Pickaway County officials to advocate for further safety initiatives under the Protect Pickaway Alliance. Although mainline paving is done, ODOT’s automated feed continues to register the work zone through Oct. 31 to provide a legal traffic management buffer while crews complete minor punch-list tasks, install permanent thermal markings, and fine-tune signal detection.
How we know this
The sources and records behind this story, with the facts they support.
S WALNUT ST · northbound · work zone
Supporting evidence (1)
Route 23 through October 31, 2026.
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Ends=2026-10-31T03:59:00Z
Supporting evidence (2)
In late September, South Bloomfield Mayor Aaron Thomas announced in the village newsletter that the state had completed the final surface paving of U.S. 23.
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Thomas also confirmed that the state has completed the final paving of U.S. 23 through South Bloomfield, work that fell to the Ohio Department of Transportation once the village’s own road-widening project wrapped up.
Under the joint arrangement, the village funded half the cost of the center turn lane while the state covered the remaining share.
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The village funded half the cost of a new center turn lane on the corridor, with the state covering the rest, according to the newsletter.
Supporting evidence (1)
Sponsored by the village as lead agency alongside the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission, Pickaway County, ODOT, and the Ohio Public Works Commission, the initiative carried an estimated cost of $3 million to $4 million, according to the MORPC Project Profile (documentRef ff1bb743-bbee-390a-9d89-535a60cc5a8b, Original Page 1).
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Estimated Cost: $3 - 4 million Lead Agency: Village of South Bloomfield
https://www.sciotopost.com/just-in-time-for-pumpkin-show-us-23-in-south-bloomfield-nears-completion/
Supporting evidence (1)
South Bloomfield awarded the construction contract in March 2025 to Boss Excavating, which widened approximately 1,800 feet of roadway, installed a continuous center double left-turn lane, replaced drainage infrastructure, buried overhead utility lines, and rebuilt side streets.
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March 2025: Contract awarded to Boss Excavating, who began construction, including full resurfacing of Second Street
Supporting evidence (4)
Boss Excavating finished most of that municipal road widening before Thanksgiving 2025.
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Most of that work, done by contractor Boss Excavating, was substantially finished before Thanksgiving 2025
The second initiative is ODOT District 6's roadway resurfacing project (PID 118853), a $550,000 state-administered contract paved by The Shelly Company.
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paving contractor Shelley were working to finish laying an intermediate asphalt layer across all lanes of U.S. 23 through town.
The substandard layer—stretching across part of the inside lane and center turn lane roughly from the Dollar General store south to the end of the project—failed state compaction and quality specifications.
Read supporting passage
covering part of the inside lane and center turn lane roughly from the Dollar General store south to the end of the project — was insufficient and had to be ground out and corrected
Because of that required rework and heavy traffic forecasts over the Labor Day holiday weekend, ODOT decided not to begin placing the final surface course until crews could return after the holiday break.
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Because of that extra work, and with the Labor Day holiday weekend approaching, ODOT opted not to begin placing the final surface course until crews could be sure of finishing it before the weekend
S WALNUT ST · northbound · work zone
Supporting evidence (1)
Route 23 through October 31, 2026.
Read supporting passage
Ends=2026-10-31T03:59:00Z