Those statistics put it on Gov. Mike DeWine’s top 150 locations identified for improvement. But before the Ohio Department of Transportation’s District Eight office finishes its design work for the roundabout, it is seeking the public’s input on the project.
A virtual public open house that explains the project is open for comments through Jan. 31 and can be found ODOT’s website.
“This intersection was identified as a high incident, high risk location in the state,’’ said Eileen Fuller, ODOT spokeswoman.“It was identified as an intersection that had a high crash rate. When we look at trends it was upward trending (in crashes).”The intersection has been on ODOT’s radar going back to 2011, when it began the first in a series of improvements. Among those was putting up intersection warning signs along with removal of a barn and vegetation on the intersection’s southeast corner to improve visibility.”
After a series of crashes in early April of last year – including one involving a death – ODOT made the intersection a four-way stop. The state will oversee the project and pay for it through its Highway Safety Improvement program.
The estimated cost for construction is $2.6 million, but that number could increase, Fuller said. The plan calls for a single-lane roundabout with provisions made for semi-trucks and farm equipment with a wider turning radius.
There will be a central island landscaped with minimal plantings, including ornamental grasses, evergreen trees, and landscape gravel. The virtual public house website has several pages on the project’s purpose and history, rationale for roundabout, safety, design, crash statistics, plan and timeline with construction anticipated to begin in spring 2027, finishing up that fall.
The public can submit questions, review material, and comment ― anonymously if they choose ― on the website.
“The next 18 months are going to be busy,’’ Fuller said. “We will work through design, right-of-way acquisitions up to getting the project going and bid out.”
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