Contractor Defaults On ODOT Road Project In Pike County

Presented By Hometown-Motors, Inc.

Work on a project to improve safety at the intersection on S.R. 32 and Shyville Road in Pike County has been suspended until further notice following default of the construction contract by Amaazz Construction Ohio, LLC. Work will resume to complete the project once a new contractor has been selected.

Construction on the $2.5 million project began in the Spring of 2020 and included resurfacing work on S.R. 32 in addition to the construction of the new Restricted Crossing U-Turn (RCUT) intersection design at Shyville Road. The goal of the project is to improve safety and traffic flow along S.R. 32 and reduce crashes at the intersection.

Following ongoing administration issues, Amaazz Construction Ohio, LLC. defaulted on the project contract in late August. The company has defaulted on other projects across the state as well. While construction has halted, ODOT is working with the bonding company to complete the project for the cost that was originally bid, with no additional cost to taxpayers.

“This is an exceedingly rare occurrence, but fortunately we have a process that is being followed to select a new contractor and get the work completed as soon as possible,” said Deputy Director Mike Dombrowski. “We are very disappointed the contractor was not able to deliver this important safety project on schedule, as promised.”

Unfortunately, due to the default coming late in the construction season, it is likely that a new contractor, once selected, will not be able to complete the project until the spring of 2022. This would require most of the existing traffic control restrictions to remain in place through the winter.

“We recognize that this is an inconvenience to those who live and work in this area. We will continue to do everything in our power to minimize these impacts as much as we can,” Dombrowski said.

Traffic on S.R. 32 remains reduced to one lane in each direction immediately east and west of the Shyville Road intersection. The median is closed, and traffic is using the new U-turn lanes to complete all left turn and through movements for Shyville Road traffic.