The Ohio-to-Erie Trail is getting resurfaced through Westerville this summer, and yes, that means some closures. But the City posted the signed detour routes before work started, so if you know where to look you can keep your routine without adding a lot of distance or aggravation.
Here's what's actually happening and what it means if you own or are buying near the trail.
What's Closing and When
Portions of the OTET in Westerville between Old County Line Road and the Hoff Woods connector are being resurfaced as part of a 2026 upgrade cycle. The City is running intermittent closures during the work window, with the bulk of activity expected through the summer months.
This is part of a broader OTET improvement program. Other segments statewide are also seeing summer paving with weekday daytime closures, so if you ride the full route into adjacent counties, plan for multiple construction zones, not just the Westerville segment.
The Signed Detour
The City published the official detour before work started, which is more than you usually get. For the Westerville closure, the signed route runs via the Alum Creek Trail, the Cleveland Avenue sidepath, and the Polaris Parkway sidepath. Northbound and southbound RideWithGPS routes are available through the OTET website.
A few practical notes:
- Budget an extra 10 to 15 minutes for any ride or walk that crosses the construction zone. The detour is rideable but involves more turns and a handful of road crossings.
- Bookmark the OTET Trail Alerts page and enable the "Route Alerts!" layer on the interactive map. That layer updates when closures open or shift, so you're not heading out blind.
- Westerville's city site has a dedicated OTET guide with video showing exactly how to navigate the route through town. Worth a quick watch before your first detour run.
- If you're doing a longer OTET trip that crosses into the Towpath or Miami Valley segments, check alerts for those regions a few days out. Construction in multiple zones at once is common during summer.
Westerville has 51 miles of trails, bike lanes, and marked streets. That's not marketing copy; it's the actual mapped network. There's real flexibility to loop around the closure on parallel routes if the detour feels too road-heavy.
What the Upgrades Actually Mean
This isn't a patch job. The 2026 scope covers resurfacing and improved, better-signed crossings at key intersections. The practical result is a trail that functions as a real transportation and recreation corridor year-round, not just a good-weather amenity.
That distinction matters for property values. Trail access has always been in the Westerville narrative, but there's a difference between a trail that gets used and one that stays empty because the surface is rough or the crossings feel sketchy. Resurfaced pavement and clearer crossing signage meaningfully change how often the infrastructure gets used.
Homes with walkable, well-maintained trail access to Uptown Westerville, Otterbein University, and the regional OTET network have shown more consistent demand than comparable homes without it. That's partly price support and partly days-on-market behavior. When a trail connection can be marketed as functional and upgraded rather than approximate, it holds up better in listing descriptions and buyer conversations.
If you're buying near the trail corridor, it's worth understanding which segments of the network are freshly resurfaced versus which are still on the upgrade queue. That matters for long-term maintenance and for how you describe the asset when you eventually sell.
If You Live Near the Trail
If you want a simple breakdown of where this summer's detours actually affect your block, or a read on how the OTET corridor has historically played into values in your specific part of Westerville, reach out. I'll give you a straight answer, not a sales pitch.
Adam Geuy, Realtor - NextHome Experience | ABR, PSA, SRS | License #202000794 937.239.2919 | calendly.com/adam-geuy
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