D 4 Divisional SpotlightTelling Our Story One Section at a Time

Planning A Division of Planning and Engineering

The Planning Division is part of the Planning & Engineering Department. Planning performs numerous activities that help ensure program delivery and system condition goals are met, making sure roads and bridges remain in good shape. This is done each year with a constrained capital preservation budget. The Planning Department constantly coordinates with the district’s three Metropolitan

Planning Organizations (MPO’s) to ensure that their long range plans and programs are aligned with ODOT’s four-year STIP (Statewide Transportation Improvement Program) and district’s six-year Capital Improvement Program. The Planning Department has extensive involvement with the department’s project tracking system called ELLIS, including coordinating the yearly project “Lockdown” process with the

other sections within Planning & Engineering. This process selects what projects are sold to contractors throughout the year. The Planning Department fosters ongoing relationships with Central Office program managers such as TRAC, Major Rehabilitation, Major Bridge, Safety, Geological, Local Programs, Noise Walls, SIB Bank, etc.

Steven Rebillot Planning Manager

Back Row (left to right): Steve Rebillot, Jack Noble P.E., Brian Peck, Ken Cooper, Jim Bruner P.E., Doug Yard P.E.Front Row (left to right): Tom Buckler, Rob Lang, Sean Carpenter, Nick Chaney P.E., Mark Thomas

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Structures & Pavement

The Structures and Pavement section is responsible for the yearly inspection and approval of nearly 1,400 bridges district-wide. They also develop annual work plans, including bridge and pavement projects, coordinating with Highway Management and then develop project scopes and review project plans for comments. They also prepare planning level construction estimates at time of programming. This section also recommends bridge maintenance and coordinate with Highway Management, evaluate pavement conditions and determine pavement treatments and evaluate bridges anytime they are struck by vehicles to make sure they are still structurally safe.

Jack Noble, P.E. Structures/Pavement ManagerDoug Yard, P.E. Pavement EngineerNick Chaney, P.E. Staff Engineer Ken Cooper Structures CoordinatorRick Fiorenzo Bridge Inspector Adam Spong Bridge Inspector

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Planning Department

1 In December 2015 ODOT entered into an agreement with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) that allows ODOT to act on FHWA’s behalf in the environmental process. This “NEPA Assignment” will allow ODOT to approve environmental documents quicker and cheaper. This past summer district 4 was one of three ODOT Districts audited by FHWA staff from across the country. District 4 passed this review with flying colors.

District 4 is responsible for 23 major bridges, third most in all of ODOT. Major bridges are defined as meeting one of the following: more than 1,000 feet in length, single bridge with a deck area greater than 81,000 square feet, twin bridge with a deck area greater than 135,000 square feet, spans the Ohio River, or is a suspension bridge. The Summit SR 8 major bridge near downtown Akron is being replaced in FY 2021 at a cost of $120 million dollars.

2 For the past few years, the GIS section has been scanning old construction plans and loading them in the “Plan Vault” on the F: drive for all to see. There are currently over 25,000 entries, with some plans dating back to the early 1900’s. Anyone throughout the district can utilize a mapping tool to look at all construction plans through time for a particular segmentof roadway.

Longitudinal roadway cracking is an issue in District 4 and throughout Ohio. Based on recent presentations at OTEC and the Ohio Asphalt Conference, District 4 P&E has decided to begin utilizing Void Reducing Asphalt Membrane (VRAM) beginning this summer. This thick emulsion product is applied 18 inches wide down the longitudinal centerline joint between the intermediate course and the surface course. The State of Illinois experimented with VRAM a few years ago with positive results, and is now utilizing it extensively across the state.

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The Environmental Section reviews, coordinates and approves environmental documents and environmental document re-evaluations in compliance with NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act) regulations, executive orders and guidelines. They also review, approve and coordinate the environmental consultation form for incorporation into project plan packages. Another major task for environmental is coordinating, conducting and attending public involvement activities, which include property owner notification letters, compiling media releases, holding local official meetings, holding public involvement meetings and public hearings. This section also coordinates the preparation and completion of waterway permit determinations, waterway permit applications and special provisions packages for

the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (COE). They also prepare nationwide permits such as COE Individual Section 404 Permit and Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Ohio EPA) Section 401 Water Quality Certification Permit for projects. Finally, environmental coordinates, conducts and directs periodic field checks during project construction to ensure compliance with all established environmental commitments is being performed. They also coordinate all noise wall requests and analysis throughout the district and manage multiple consultant task orders to complete environmental activities appropriately.

Enviromental Ed Deley Environmental CoordinatorSean Carpenter Environmental Specialist Rob Lang Environmental SpecialistBrian Peck Environmental Specialist

During the development of the Portage SR 303 drainage and bridge replacement project in Streetsboro, it was discovered that the wetland area adjacent to the project was in fact a FEN wetland. FEN wetlands are minerotrophic peatlands, usually fed by mineral rich surface or groundwater. FEN wetlands are extremely rare. They occur only in the parts of the midwest scoured by glaciers. This FEN in Streetsboro is the only one in Ohio, and there are just a few in the United States. As we completed soil borings on this project, there were areas of peat over 100 feet deep under the SR 303 roadway! As a result of this wetland, the Environmental Section has had extensive coordination with the Ohio EPA, U.S. Army Core of Engineers, and Ohio Department of Natrual Resources to ensure the project will not negatively impact that wetland.

Environmental Coordinating Ohio’s Only Fen Wetland for Upcoming Project

Every two years ODOT updates our four-year STIP (State Transportation Improvement Program). Our three Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPO’s) work with their local communities to add projects to the next STIP. AMATS coordinates transportation planning efforts for Portage and Summit Counties. SCATS coordinates transportation planning efforts for Stark County communities. Lastly, EASTGATE coordinates projects and planning for Mahoning and Trumbull Counties. Since Ashtabula County is not

represented by an MPO, ODOT steps in and coordinates STIP development in Ashtabula County. This is done through the Rural Consultation process, where we roll out the next four years of projects in Ashtabula County to all interested parties. Last October, Jim Bruner, P.E., Steve Rebillot, and Chad Root, P.E. held a rural consultation meeting at the ODOT Full Service Maintenance Facility in Seven Hills where locals were given the opportunity to inquire and comment on the state of proposed projects.

Rural Consult Held in Ashtabula County

The Capital Planning/GIS Section monitors the district capital preservation budget and maintains a balance within acceptable levels of plus or minus five percent. They do this by performing extensive ELLIS work, including project programming, plan splits, PE funding, updates to work treatments, work locations, and cost updates. They work with other P&E sections to establish preliminary engineering, right of way, utility and railroad encumbrances. They monitor the 4CP7 (Maintenance) budget and share this information with Highway Management and work cooperatively with HMA to provide GIS mapping used for culvert program and other asset inventories.This section is also responsible for updating the Plan Vault and sharing plan information with HMA, Construction, and outside requests.

Jim Bruner, P.E. Capital Planning/GIS ManagerTom Buckler GIMS Database CoordinatorMark Thomas GIMS Technician

Capital Planning/GIS

Chad Root P.E. (right) talks to an Ashtabula resident during the rural consolation meeting