Road to close for months during roundabout construction at notable intersection

Credit: DaytonDailyNews

A weeks-long road closure will begin this month to allow for the construction of a roundabout at Ohio 73 and Jacksonburg Road, which the state has called one of the most dangerous in Ohio.

Beginning Aug. 20, the south leg of Jacksonburg Road will be closed for 60 days, according to the Ohio Department of Transportation.

Jacksonburg will be closed at the intersection of Ohio 73 in Wayne Twp., and no vehicles will be permitted to turn from 73 onto southbound Jacksonburg. During the closure, traffic will be detoured through Howe Road, Wayne Madison Road, Hamilton Trenton Road, Riverside Drive and Morganthaler Road.

In addition to the closure of Jacksonburg, Ohio 73 will be shifted to the north on temporary pavement, and a portable concrete barrier will be installed.

A portion of Jacksonburg Road will be closed beginning Aug. 20 for the construction of a round
(Provided Photo ODOT/Journal-News

Credit: Provided Photo/Journal-News

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Credit: Provided Photo/Journal-News

Two-way traffic will be maintained on Ohio 73 in an 11-foot lane in each direction. However, the route will be subject to intermittent lane closures within the work zone. During these restrictions, traffic will be maintained by flaggers.

The rural intersection, which often includes travel by semi trucks, has been crash-prone for years and a regular member of Ohio’s list of the most dangerous intersections.

According to ODOT officials, from 2012 through May 2015, there were 16 serious crashes at the intersection, three of which resulted in fatalities.

In October 2019, a crash involving three vehicles, including a semi, killed a Preble County mother and her 2-year-old child.

The roundabout project began in 2016 following safety and feasibility studies conducted by ODOT District 8 and consultants for the department as a result of the crash history at the intersection.

Preliminary clearing work near the intersection is done, and the roundabout construction began this month. The $3 million project is expected to be finished by late summer 2021, according to ODOT officials.

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