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On March 10, 2026 the Morrow County Farm Bureau Board of Trustees voted to release the following public statement and provide it as a written comment to ODOT (Ohio Department of Transportation):

While we acknowledge the traffic and congestion issues on US 23, especially south of the city of Delaware, we strongly oppose any construction of a freeway between US 23 and I-71 as a result of the US 23/I-71 Connector Feasibility Study. This project has the potential to destroy approximately 900 acres of some of the most productive farm ground in the area. Much of this land may look vacant but it is not unimproved.

• Generations of farmers have spent their lives improving and maintaining these properties. The soil is a vital natural resource and once it’s paved over, it is gone forever. 
• Even if the new right of way doesn’t take an entire farm, the remaining pieces can often become “orphaned parcels” where access is cut off or severely limited making them impossible to farm. 
• Many of these farms have complex subsurface drainage systems. New infrastructure can easily damage or disrupt these systems. Repairs and redesigns can be extremely difficult because many systems are not well documented. The effects of a failed drainage system can be felt by neighboring farms for miles. 
• Most farms rely on a specific number of acres to support investments in equipment, grain handling facilities and livestock. Seizing a portion of a farm’s land can have a dramatic impact on their bottom line, especially during a time of high input costs and low crop prices. 

For these reasons and more, the proposals put forward by ODOT run the risk of causing several multi-generational farms in the area to become uneconomical, leading to failure.

The project will also devastate the local community by dividing it in two and placing undue burdens on our first responders and other community resources. The residents in this area will have to bear the costs of this project with little to no benefits. 

We urge ODOT and the State Legislature to return to the findings of the 2022 “23 Connect” project, which focused on improving the existing US 23 corridor. Upgrading existing infrastructure is a common sense solution that addresses safety without destroying the agricultural heart of Morrow County. 

Take Action Now!

We are encouraging our members to submit public comments to ODOT through our Action Alert or on their website by April 14. Be sure to tell your story and how this project affects you. Submitting comments is the best way to achieve our desired outcome. ODOT’s study will be finalized October 1 of this year, and there will be more opportunities to provide feedback as the study progresses. Ohio Farm Bureau also submitted comments.