As the new century begins it is important that the Ohio Department of Transportation hit the road running to continue the department’s recent success and promote the growth ODOT has been able to reestablish during the past several years.

During the past six years, ODOT has revised nearly all of its core business activities. The department has significantly reduced administrative costs, streamlined operations and improved services to Ohioans. This year, ODOT will continue its progress by concentrating on the department’s construction and maintenance activities through its "Hit the Road Running" campaign.

ODOT’s commitment to continued excellence is seen through the department’s mission, vision, values and goals. ODOT adopts annual strategic initiatives, measurable goals that highlight areas of operations which need updating, improvement or creation. From this continual cycle of improvement, the Hit the Road Running campaign was developed to increase the awareness of the department’s Fiscal Year 2002 Strategic Initiatives focused on updating construction and maintenance activities.

The construction and maintenance function are interrelated in that well-built roads require less maintenance in their lifetime. Conversely, well-maintained roads will have a longer life-cycle, thus requiring major reconstruction less frequently.

Through several departmental initiatives, ODOT is improving its approach to quality control for construction activities and establishing a proactive, well-balanced maintenance program. Furthermore, the department will continue to cross-train much of its county work force in both maintenance and construction inspection. Through this approach the work force will be better informed and can adapt to meet the needs as ODOT fortifies the relationship between the construction and maintenance functions.

The focus of the Hit the Road Running campaign is to communicate how ODOT is improving its construction and maintenance practices through a holistic approach that in the end, will make Ohio’s road network safer through greater efficiency.