ODOT plans roundabout at intersection

VW independent/submitted information

LIMA — The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) District 1 has chosen a single-lane roundabout design to improve safety at the intersection of U.S. 127/U.S. 224 at Marsh Road in Van Wert County. This option was the recommended alternative presented at a public meeting in November to improve intersection safety. 

The decision was made after ODOT and its consultant, Fishbeck Inc. of Columbus, gathered feedback on the alternatives during stakeholder meetings and a public meeting.

The project, scheduled for construction in 2022, will place a single-lane roundabout at the current intersection.

“The project is unique in that the goal of this project is entirely safety,” said ODOT District 1 Deputy Director Chris Hughes. “Statistics from around the country show that converting a two-way stop-controlled intersection, such as this one, to a single-lane roundabout can result in a 40 percent reduction in total crashes, 75 percent reduction in injury crashes, and 90 percent reduction in fatal crashes,” said Hughes.

For more information on roundabouts, view a video produced by the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration: https://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/intersection/in-novative/roundabouts/

Estimated construction cost of the chosen option is $2.13 million. The project is funded by revenue from the gas user fee increase.

“We are addressing this intersection as part of Governor DeWine’s initiative to use a portion of the new revenue to improve safety,” Hughes noted. “For rural intersections, this one happens to be ranked number 29 in the state. The rate and the severity of crashes are much higher here than we would expect to see for an intersection with similar traffic volume.” 

The intersection is one of more than 150 statewide that have been selected by Governor DeWine for review and safety improvements. Improvements range from signal and signage improvements to a complete intersection redesign.

After securing additional funding for transportation infrastructure through the increased gas user fee, Governor Mike DeWine designated an additional $50 million annually for roadway locations, such as intersections, where a project could improve its safety. As a result of the increase, ODOT now has the third largest road safety program in the country. Over the next four years, ODOT will spend $158 million annually on preventing crashes on Ohio roads.

For more information, visit the project website at https://tinyurl.com/US127-US224-Marsh.