Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and the Ohio Department of Transportation announced an investment of $73.8 million into more than two dozen projects across the state to increase safety on the roadways, including two in Lorain County.
Two of those projects are slated to improve two intersections in Lorain County, according to a news release from DeWine’s office.
At the intersection of state Route 58 and Tower Boulevard in Lorain, a new traffic signal will be installed in addition to radar detection and overhead signage.
The project is slated to cost $437,000 to complete the construction in 2026, the release stated.
At the intersection of state Route 57 and state Route 83 in Grafton, a single-lane roundabout will be constructed and is expected to cost about $3.4 million to complete construction in 2027, the release stated.
Funding from the Ohio Department of Transportation’s Highway Safety Improvement Program will cover the various phases of project development, right of way and construction of 25 projects in 19 counties across the state between state fiscal years 2024 and 2029, the release stated.
“Since 2019, we’ve worked to grow this program into one of the largest traffic safety programs in the country,” DeWine in the release. “Every project that receives funding will be constructed in a manner that puts the safety of those traveling Ohio’s roads at the forefront.”
Many of the projects receiving funding are focused on improving the safety of intersections, including 16 projects that will install crash-reducing roundabouts.
As of October, 298 people were killed in crashes at intersections in Ohio thus far this year, the release stated.
Studies by the Federal Highway Administration show that roundabouts reduce overall crashes by 44 percent and serious injury and deadly crashes by nearly 90-percent at two-way stop intersections, the release stated.
“When roundabouts replace a traffic signal, studies show a 48-percent reduction in crashes and a nearly 80-percent drop in serious injury and deadly crashes,” the release stated.
“When we introduce roundabouts for the first time, folks are generally skeptical. However, as time goes by, they see the benefits of safety and improved traffic flow,” said Ohio Department of Transportation Director Jack Marchbanks in the release.
The project list also includes the conversion of two intersections to a reduced collision “u-turn,” also known as an “RCUT,” which are considered “non traditional intersections” that allow for more efficient movement of traffic, reducing the number and severity of crashes, the release stated.
Projects submitted for grant consideration were reviewed and selected by a team of safety experts, design engineers and funding professionals, the release stated.
The Ohio Department of Transportation’s Highway Safety Program’s is funded at $185 million annually.
