OHIO LEGISLATIVE SERVICE COMMISSION
Office of Research Legislative Budget
www.lsc.ohio.gov and Drafting Office
S.B. 155 Bill Analysis
135th General Assembly
Click here for S.B. 155’s Fiscal Note
Version: As Reported by House Economic and Workforce Development
Primary Sponsor: Sen. Romanchuk
Effective date:
Margaret E. Marcy, Attorney
SUMMARY
▪ Repeals the requirement that the Department of Transportation construct certain
interstate interchanges.
▪ Requires the Director of Transportation, in consultation with or led by the Northeast Ohio
Areawide Coordinating Agency, to conduct a study to develop a traffic congestion
management strategic plan and submit a related report.
DETAILED ANALYSIS
Repeal of required interchanges
The bill repeals a provision, enacted in H.B. 23 of the 135 th General Assembly (the
transportation budget), that requires the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) to
construct certain interstate interchanges. The provision specifies that ODOT must ensure that
limited access exit and entrance ramps to interstate highways exist at least every 4.5 miles in
adjacent municipal corporations, provided that:
▪ Each municipal corporation has a population above 35,000 (based on the most recent
federal decennial census);
▪ The municipal corporations are located in different counties; and
▪ At least one of the municipal corporations is located in a county with a population above
one million (based on the most recent federal decennial census).1
The current provision does not require ODOT to seek prior approval for the construction
from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) or the Federal Highway Administration
1 R.C. 5501.60, repealed by the bill.
November 20, 2024
Office of Research and Drafting LSC Legislative Budget Office
(FHWA). Federal law currently prohibits states from adding “any points of access to, or exit from”
projects on the Interstate Systems without approval by the U.S. DOT Secretary.2 Additionally, the
FHWA has released policy guidelines specifying the forms of operational safety analyses that a
state must conduct and submit in order to receive approval for new or revised access points to
the Interstate.3 The bill’s repeal of the required construction of the interchanges removes any
potential conflict with the federal requirements.
Traffic congestion study
The bill requires the Director of Transportation, in consultation with the Northeast Ohio
Areawide Coordinating Agency (NOACA) to conduct a study to develop a traffic congestion
management strategic plan. At the Director’s discretion, NOACA may lead the study. The study
must examine the area along I-71 bounded by U.S. Route 42 (north and west), State Route 303
(south), and West 130th Street (east). The area is the same congested area along I-71 that is near
the proposed interchange repealed by the bill.
The Director or NOACA must complete the study by December 31, 2026, and submit a
report of the study’s findings to all of the following:
1. The Governor;
2. The Speaker of the House;
3. The Senate President;
4. The chairpersons of the House and Senate committees pertaining to transportation; and
5. The chief executive officer and legislative authority of Strongsville, North Royalton, and
Brunswick.
The report may include solutions to mitigate and strategically manage any traffic congestion
concerns found during the study.4
HISTORY
Action Date
Introduced 09-14-23
Reported, S. Transportation 06-26-24
Passed Senate (30-1) 06-26-24
Reported, H. Economic & Workforce Development 11-20-24
ansb0155rh-135/ks
2 23 United States Code 111.
3 See “Policy on Access to the Interstate System“ available on the FHWA’s website at: highways.dot.gov.
4 Section 2.
P a g e |2 S.B. 155
As Reported by House Economic and Workforce Development


Statutes affected:
As Introduced: 5501.60
As Reported By Senate Committee: 5501.60
As Passed By Senate: 5501.60