ODOT adds new driver alerts as Ohio roadwork season brings widespread lane closures statewide

A new in-app warning system arrives as crews return to highways and state routes

As Ohio’s annual construction season ramps up, the Ohio Department of Transportation is expanding how it warns motorists about active work and maintenance activity on the road. The agency has partnered with the Waze navigation app so that drivers using the app can see ODOT vehicles when crews are actively working and operating with strobe lights.

The feature is designed to provide drivers with earlier, location-based awareness of road crews ahead, including during winter operations such as plowing and salting and during other routine work such as pothole repairs. The display is limited to nearby working vehicles and appears only when the vehicle’s strobe lights indicate active operations.

Why the timing matters: a high-volume construction season and work-zone crash risk

The update comes as road construction and maintenance activities increase across the state and particularly in Northeast Ohio, where ODOT has recently outlined a large set of new projects for the season. Major work can include bridge repairs, resurfacing, and interchange improvements that change traffic patterns and reduce access between key routes during certain phases.

Work zones remain a persistent safety challenge. State enforcement and safety campaigns in recent years have focused on speeding, distraction, and compliance with Ohio’s “Move Over” requirements when approaching stopped vehicles displaying flashing lights, including road maintenance vehicles.

What drivers can expect to see and how it works

ODOT vehicles equipped with strobe lights can appear in Waze as a vehicle icon when the lights are activated. The intent is to help drivers anticipate lane restrictions, slow-moving equipment, or roadside personnel in time to reduce speed and adjust position safely.

Because the alert is triggered by strobe-light activation, the system is not a comprehensive map of all work zones. Long-term construction zones, lane shifts, and detours may still require separate trip planning and attention to posted signage.

Safety and compliance: what remains required in every work zone

ODOT and state traffic-safety enforcement efforts continue to emphasize basic steps that apply regardless of app use:

• Slow down and obey reduced speed limits in work zones.
• Move over a lane when approaching stopped vehicles with flashing lights when it is safe and legal to do so.
• If a lane change is not possible, reduce speed and proceed with caution, prepared to stop.
• Avoid distraction; work zones often include sudden merges, narrow lanes, and workers close to traffic.

The start of construction season typically brings changing traffic patterns, short-notice lane closures, and increased roadside activity, conditions that heighten the consequences of speeding and inattention.

What’s next

With multiple major projects underway or scheduled across Ohio, drivers should expect recurring congestion near long-term work sites, intermittent overnight lane closures, and periodic ramp restrictions as projects move through phases. The new Waze visibility tool adds another layer of situational awareness, but it does not replace work-zone signage, enforcement, or the obligation to slow down and move over when approaching flashing lights.