IN Brief:
- Ohio, Minnesota, Texas, Utah and Wisconsin have all pushed major road and bridge programmes into the 2026 season.
- Ohio alone has outlined 977 projects worth $3.4bn, while Utah has 176 new projects worth $2.8bn.
- The pipeline spans interstate widening, bridge replacement, urban corridor upgrades and multimodal works.
The Ohio Department of Transportation, alongside peer agencies in Minnesota, Texas, Utah and Wisconsin, has opened the 2026 season with a fresh round of major highway, bridge and corridor works moving into delivery.
Ohio is launching 977 projects worth $3.4bn this year, including bridge, pavement and route expansion schemes across the state. Minnesota has outlined more than 200 road, bridge and wider transport infrastructure projects, plus 51 additional jobs covering airports, ports, rail crossings and transit. Utah has announced 176 new projects worth $2.8bn, with another 57 already under way, while Wisconsin has previewed more than 400 highway improvement schemes across the state.
Texas is also moving a series of corridor upgrades forward, from Austin’s I-35 Capital Express Central works to Grand Parkway expansion in west Harris County and a widening scheme on I-20. Taken together, the state programmes show a market still being driven by preservation work, capacity upgrades and safety improvements rather than a single megaproject cycle.
For contractors, the start of the season is shaping up around breadth as much as scale, with multi-state pipelines spanning interstate reconstruction, urban interchange works, bridge replacements and supporting pedestrian and multimodal improvements.
