How the stay-at-home order is affecting ODOT projects, budget

COLUMBUS (WCMH) — Early signs show Ohioans are taking the stay-at-home order seriously.

Data from 200 sensors counting vehicles on Ohio highways suggest travel is nearly half as frequent as one year ago.

“In one vein, that’s a good thing,” said Matt Bruning, press secretary for the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT). “That means people are paying attention to what the governor and the Ohio Department of Health asked them to do. They’re staying home.”

Bruning explained restrictions meant to limit the spread of COVID-19 could also affect major funding sources for ODOT. Fewer travelers translates to a lower demand for fuel and, likewise, less revenue from the state’s gas tax.

When the Ohio legislature approved the latest gas tax hike in 2019, lawmakers estimated the 10.5 cent increase would generate an additional $865 million annually. The funding helps pay for everything from repairing potholes to building bridges.

“That was really going to catch us up to all the inflation issues we’ve been dealing with,” Bruning said.

ODOT has already slowed some of its scheduled projects as a response to the coronavirus pandemic. In a letter to industry partners, chief engineer Lloyd MacAdam explained the anticipated loss of fuel tax revenue. He announced the department would be deferring several construction phases, including a section of the I-70/I-71 improvement project near downtown Columbus.

Prior to the health crisis, the ODOT director also pledged to find $100 million in savings by improving the department’s efficiency. Bruning explained the efforts to trim costs are ramping up during the economic downturn.

“It could mean pushing some projects out, it could mean changing a couple of the things we would normally do,” he said. “And we kind of make those adjustments year in and year out anyway.” 

Money saved from unused salt and plow trucks during a relatively mild winter could also be a buffer for future budgets. 

Bruning added revenue currently being collected from the gas tax could affect projects up to two years from now. He explained ODOT doesn’t see the funding until several months after it’s been collected at the pump. The department likely won’t even know how much fuel tax revenue is lost until early summer.

“How this will all play out, it’s just too early to say,” he said. “But it’s definitely safe to say we’ll see some sort of an impact on our budget and have to make some kind of adjustments.”