Ohio 11 May 23, 2026

ODOT’s $173M

I-90 Project to Fix Flooding

Cindy Riley

CEG CORRESPONDENT

In Cuyahoga County, Ohio, a $173 million rehabilitation project is replacing the existing pavement along I-90 from the Hilliard Road exit ramp bridge to West Boulevard in Rocky River, Lakewood and Cleveland. Construction includes bridge maintenance, median barrier and drainage work and upgraded lighting.

“The aging pavement and infrastructure along the corridor needed to be replaced to reduce maintenance effort and improve rideability,” Drake Brauer, Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) District 12 pavement engineer, told Construction Equipment Guide. “The pavement is reaching its service life and will require higher maintenance costs and effort if not replaced.”

Work began in late summer 2025 and is expected to be completed by October 2028. Brauer acknowledged that overseeing such a lengthy undertaking takes patience.

“Multi-year projects, especially ones of this size, have a lot of moving parts that need to be monitored and kept track of, to ensure the project stays on schedule,” he said. “It requires a detail-oriented mindset and organized approach.

“Timely responses are critical to keep things moving. Keeping good records is important, since some decisions are sometimes made years in the past, and it can be challenging to remember the reasons for those decisions.”

Brauer said first priorities have focused on prephase work to install crossovers and prepare the project limits for the construction of eastbound pavement. Replacing the drainage trunk line is a major part of the prephase, as well.

During construction, traffic will be maintained through a series of lane shifts, crossovers, lane closures and detours for the ramps (when under construction). One lane eastbound will be closed for a majority of the project life. The location of the lanes for each direction will change via Contraflow traffic pattern as the replacement work progresses.

Stone Products Joins Anaconda Equipment’s Growing Dealer Network

Anaconda Equipment welcomed the newest member of its dealer network, Stone Products Inc. Based in Canton, Ohio, Stone Products will serve as the authorized Anaconda dealer in Ohio.

“Joining the Anaconda dealer network is an exciting step for us — one that opens the door to new opportunities, collaboration and delivering even greater value to our customers,” said Mike Blumenauer, general manager of Stone Products Inc. (L-R) are Ethan Weyant, business development manager of Anaconda; and Levi Simmons, Mike Blumenauer and Tim Byrd of Stone Products.

TRAC Approves $123.1M Funding for Major Projects

The Ohio Department of Transportation’s (ODOT) Transportation Review Advisory Council (TRAC) has approved investing $123.1 million into 11 major transportation projects in eight counties over the next four years.

The list includes $103.6 million for construction on six projects in Tier I:

• $35 million in fiscal year 2027 for roadway improvements to the ODOT-maintained interchange and ramps at I-71/Snow Road in Brook Park, Cuyahoga County.

• $5.3 million in fiscal year 2027 for roadway enhancements on SR 172 in Canton, Stark County.

• $10 million in fiscal year 2027 for light rail track reconstruction for the Greater Cleveland Rapid Transit Authority in Cuyahoga County.

• $17.6 million in fiscal year 2027 for roadway improvements for the Dayton International Airport Northeast Logistics project in Montgomery County.

• $27 million in fiscal year 2028 for a new diverging diamond Interchange at I-75 and Millikin Road in Butler County.

interchange improvements at SR 315 and Lane Avenue, in Franklin County.

• $8.7 million in fiscal year 2028 for roadway widening/ enhancements on Alum Creek Drive in Franklin County.

TRAC also approved $19.5 million for additional project development funding on five projects listed in Tier II:

• $3 million in fiscal year 2027 for improvements at the I-71 and I-270 interchange on the north side of Columbus in Franklin County.

• $1.5 million in fiscal year 2027 for roadway and

• $5 million in fiscal year 2027 for improvements at the U.S. 23 and Orange Road intersection in Delaware County.

• $4 million in fiscal year 2027 for a new roadway/new alignment of the Bluegrass Parkway extension in Fayette County.

• $6 million ($3 million in fiscal year 2028 and $3 million in fiscal year 2029) for improvements to the interchange at I-70 and I-675 in Clark County.

A total of 27 projects applied for funding in this cycle.

“The demand for major infrastructure projects that improve safety, enhance connections and fuel economic development continues to grow across the state,” said ODOT Director Pamela Boratyn. “The projects approved by the TRAC today align with ODOT’s mission to strengthen local, regional, and national mobility.”

TRAC operates on an annual application cycle.

At the completion of the application process TRAC members vote on the approval of the Major New Construction Program List of funding commitments for preliminary engineering, detailed design, right-of-way and project construction.

Projects receiving funding commitments are placed into three “tiers” based upon the level of project development:

Tier I — The group of projects recommended for construction during the upcoming four-year construction period.

Tier II — The group of projects recommended for additional environmental, design or right-of-way development activities necessary before the projects would be available for construction.

Tier III — The group of projects with previous phases funded for construction in Tier I. Projects placed in Tier III status are part of a long-range funding plan to advance multiple phase projects.

For more information, visit transportation.ohio.gov. 

Browns Break Ground On Huntington Bank Field

Haslam Sports Group, working with a construction joint venture of AECOM Hunt and Turner Construction Company, has officially broken ground on the new Huntington Bank Field, initiating site work on what team officials call the largest economic development project in Northeast Ohio history, according to clevelandbrowns. com.

The enclosed stadium and surrounding mixed-use district will become the new home of the Cleveland Browns beginning with the 2029 NFL season. With the groundbreaking completed, construction has moved into full-scale execution, beginning with earthmoving, grading and subsurface preparation across the stadium footprint.

AECOM Hunt and Turner Construction Company are overseeing all construction activities for the project, which will include extensive excavation, foundation systems, concrete placement, structural steel erection and enclosure work. The stadium is designed by HKS, with Lincoln Property Company leading development of the surrounding entertainment district, according to clevelandbrowns.com.

The venue will be Ohio’s first enclosed NFL stadium and is designed to host events year-round, including professional football, NCAA Final Fours, international soccer matches and major concerts. Flexible configurations will allow the stadium to accommodate crowds of up to 75,000.

From a construction standpoint, the project features a long-span roof system without interior trusses, a design that increases the importance of precision engineering, heavy lift planning and sequencing of structural steel and concrete operations. The seating

Cleveland Browns photo

Haslam Sports Group, working with a construction joint venture of AECOM Hunt and Turner Construction Company, has officially broken ground on the new Huntington Bank Field, initiating site work on what team officials call the largest economic development project in Northeast Ohio history, according to clevelandbrowns.com.

bowl is also designed to bring fans closer to the field than any other NFL stadium, adding another layer of complexity to foundation layout and structural alignment.

clevelandbrowns.com.

• 2026–2027: Site Work and Earthmoving — Early phases focus on mass excavation, grading, soil stabilization and installation of underground utilities and stormwater infrastructure. This stage supports both the stadium and future mixed-use development and represents the heaviest earthmoving activity of the project.

• 2027–2028: Foundations and Structural Construction — Work will transition to deep foundations, concrete placement and erection of primary structural systems, including the seating bowl and support elements for the roof. Coordination between concrete crews, steel erectors and heavy equipment operators will be critical during this phase.

• 2028–2029: Enclosure and Buildout

— As the structure is enclosed, crews will install the transparent roof system, exterior façade and interior mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems. Interior finishes and stadium operations spaces will come online as Phase 1 of the surrounding mixed-use district advances concurrently. The stadium and Phase 1 of the mixed-use development are scheduled to open in 2029.

Workforce, Local Participation

More than 6,000 construction jobs are expected during peak activity, with thousands of additional permanent positions tied to stadium operations and the surrounding district. AECOM Hunt

Six-Phase ODOT Project Includes Bridge Demolition

“It’s very exciting to drive through the construction zone and see that the effort that was put in during design is amounting to something tangible in construction,” Brauer said.

According to Joe Simeone, ODOT District 12 construction project engineer, the biggest challenge on the project involves traffic maintenance.

“There are six phases, each with multiple sub phases, needed to maintain traffic and construct the project in a safe manner,” Simeone told Construction Equipment Guide. “Every ramp within the project limits is being replaced, which requires coordinating multiple closures and detours.

There are also several local projects scheduled in the area, further complicating these detours. This requires an additional layer of coordination to keep traffic moving as smoothly as possible on the local system.”

In addition, there have been previous flooding events in the corridor. Replacement of the storm sewers in this project is intended to address the previous flooding events.

Drainage replacement is taking place, along with bridge demolition and median barrier and pavement removal. The entrance ramps to I-90 west at West Boulevard and Mckinley Avenue have been removed and replaced. Pavement replacement work remains, as well as barrier replacement, lighting replacement and bridge rehab.

Simeone acknowledged crews must make adjustments during construction, based on weather conditions.

“Asphalt paving has temperature requirements. Concrete can be poured in colder weather with certain protections. While favorable dry weather in September/October 2025 allowed some drainage tasks to be completed more efficiently, the cold spell in January hampered production.”

Simeone also explained that bridge maintenance work isn’t one size fits all.

“Each bridge has its own list of work items to be completed. They include patching abutments and columns, replacing deck overlays, replacing parapets and fence, expansion joint replacement and making structural steel repairs.”

Replacement of the storm sewers in this project is intended to address the previous flooding events.

Replacing median barrier and performing drainage work is carefully choreographed, as well.

“Drainage runs are installed through trenching or boring,” said Simeone. “A 66-inch pipe is being bored under I-90 west by Riverside Drive. Drainage needs to be maintained while installing the new drainage. This is done by adding temporary connections and leaving existing drainage in place until the new drainage is functional. see ODOT page 8

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ODOT Expects I-90 Project to Complete in October 2028

“The median barrier was removed by using a hoe ram and hauling the concrete offsite. After installing the new pavement, the new median barrier will be slip formed.”

Early site work included project layout, MOT shifts, temporary crossovers and temporary lighting. Drainage installation, pavement removals and ramp replacements followed.

Excavation involves removing the median mounds and making profile adjustments, such as lowering pavement under structures for vertical clearance. Simeone said in order for crews to do so, additional material will be taken out. This will allow the new asphalt pavement to be placed at a lower elevation.

In total, roughly 305,000 cu. yds. of material will be removed during construction.

Crews typically work eight to 10 hours per day, five days a week. Drainage boring activities in the fall required both day and night work, six days a week. Some work must be completed at night and on weekends.

Main equipment being used on the project includes an excavator, loader, bore machine, crane, concrete paver, asphalt paver and roller. Construction materials include concrete, asphalt, aggregates, plastic, concrete and steel.

Although much work remains, Simeone said there’s already a sense of accomplishment on site.

“It’s exciting to be part of a project that will help improve

Stone Now Offers Anaconda’s Crushing, Screening Lineup

STONE from page 1

Stone Products is a long-standing provider of aggregate processing and material handling equipment, serving the mining, demolition, waste and recycling industries. Founded in 1970 as a small limestone crushing operation in Zoar, Ohio, the business quickly grew into a fullservice provider as the company expanded its capabilities and relocated to Canton to support major regional construction projects.

Now a subsidiary of The Beaver Excavating Company, Stone Products supports its customers across the Ohio region with a large inventory of new and used equipment and a commitment to reliable, long-term service.

“We’re excited to welcome Stone Products to the Anaconda Equipment dealer network. Their strong reputation, deep market knowledge and hands-on experience in the aggregate industry make them a natural fit for our growing dealer network,” said Ethan Weyant, business development manager of Anaconda Equipment. “With a

team that understands the demands of the job site, Stone Products is well-positioned to help producers choose the right equipment, maximize uptime and get the most out of their operations. By combining their local expertise and customer first approach with Anaconda Equipment’s high-performance crushing, screening and conveying solutions, we’re confident this partnership will deliver real value and long-term success for customers across the region.”

For more than 20 years, Anaconda Equipment has been providing mobile crushing, screening, scalping and conveying equipment to the aggregates, recycling and materials processing industries. A member of the McLanahan Family of Companies, Anaconda designs, manufactures and supplies a full range of heavy-duty crushers, screeners, conveyors and washing equipment to customers around the world from their locations in the United States and Northern Ireland.

For more information, visit anacondaequipment.com and stonepro.com. 

Early Phases Under Way On Brown’s New Stadium

Early phases focus on mass excavation, grading, soil stabilization and installation of underground utilities and stormwater infrastructure.

BROWNS from page 4

development and heavy civil work, according to clevelandbrowns.com.

For contractors, equipment suppliers and material producers, the Huntington Bank

Field project represents one of the largest and most complex construction efforts the region has seen, with demand extending across earthmoving, concrete, steel and specialty trades through the end of the decade. 