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On March 5, 2026 the Marion 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) regarding the US 23/I-71 Connector Feasibility Study:

We support making improvements along existing right of ways to relieve congestion and improve traffic flow on Route 23 and preserve farmland. These improvements should also consider the needs of landowners and farmers when accessing their land, buildings or livestock with large equipment.

This feasibility study has raised the following concerns:

• Destruction of Irreplaceable Prime Farmland: This land is not “unimproved.” It has been meticulously maintained for decades with drainage tiles and soil conservation practices. Once paved, this soil is gone forever. A farm has thousands of dollars invested in underground drainage tiles. A freeway will cut these lines, causing flooding issues for every neighboring farm for miles. How does ODOT plan to compensate for the permanent ecological and agricultural damage to the water table?
• Economic Viability and Infrastructure Loss: Farms rely on specific acreage to support investments in grain bins, equipment and livestock. By seizing portions of this land, you are not just taking acreage; you are rendering entire remaining operations economically unfeasible.
• Equipment Mobility and Safety: A limited-access freeway will sever the local roads used to move heavy machinery. Forcing tractors and combines onto longer, more dangerous detours is a safety risk for both farmers and the motoring public.
• Marginal Benefits vs. Total Loss: ODOT’s own data suggests these routes may only save through-traffic four to 22 minutes. It is unconscionable to destroy a family’s legacy and a community’s tax base for such negligible travel time savings.
• Viable Alternatives Exist: We urge ODOT to return to the 2022 “23 Connect” recommendations, which focused on improving the existing U.S. 23 corridor. Upgrading current infrastructure is a common-sense solution that addresses safety without destroying the agricultural heart of Marion 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 Oct. 1 of this year, and there will be more opportunities to provide feedback as the study progresses. Ohio Farm Bureau also submitted comments.