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Dayton leaders decide fate of three major infrastructure projects
City leaders must now determine contract sequencing and coordination for the Salem Avenue and Keowee Street work plus airport apron construction.
How we reported this
Dayton secured $55 million in ODOT investment for transportation projects this year, a share that equals 44 percent of the total state allocation announced by the Dayton Area Chamber.
The funding arrives as Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and ODOT opened the 2025 road construction season in Dayton with a record $3.2 billion statewide package that also raised the Highway Safety Improvement Program to $191 million for the 2026-2027 budget period. Local projects now move from announcement to active management, requiring the city to schedule work around existing utilities and traffic patterns while tracking expenditures against the approved amounts.
Salem Avenue and Keowee Street work set the immediate pace
Salem Avenue Reconstruction Phase 4 is scheduled to begin in spring 2026 and finish by the end of 2027. Keowee Street Safety Improvements will reduce lanes and add multi-use paths as part of the same citywide effort. Dayton City Commission already approved an $11.4 million contract for water lab expansion and a $600,000 contract for ERP system implementation in April 2026; both systems support tracking of these road projects and related infrastructure spending.
These two corridors represent the largest visible changes residents will encounter first. Project managers must decide the order of utility relocations, lane reductions, and path construction so that traffic disruption stays within acceptable limits during the 18-month Salem Avenue window.
Airport apron funding adds another layer of coordination
Dayton International Airport received more than $78 million from the All Ohio Future Fund for aprons, taxiways, and roadwork covering 150 acres across Dayton, Union, and Butler Township. The airport work must align with the Salem Avenue and Keowee Street schedules because some material deliveries and workforce movements will share the same regional road network.
City staff will next determine how to sequence the airport-related road improvements with the $55 million ODOT allocation so that overlapping closures do not compound delays. Weekly coordination meetings between ODOT, the airport authority, and Dayton Public Works are expected to set those priorities before the Salem Avenue start date.