Credit: FILE
Credit: FILE
No fatalities have been recorded on that two-lane area of Ohio 48 from 2017-19. The vast majority of crashes during that time in the area that has a daily average of vehicle count of 23,490 have involved rear-end wrecks or drivers seeking to turn left, ODOT records show.
The turn-lane work “will improve the flow of traffic along those heavily trafficked roadways,” Washington Twp. Public Works Director Mike Wannamaker said in an emailed statement. “We’re pleased that ODOT is taking on this project….”
The intersection “experiences a high percentage of turning-movement crashes and operates at a level of service F” in peak hours, according to ODOT.
Level of service is a qualitative measure ranging from A (best) to F (worst) describing operational conditions within a traffic stream, according to the state.
None of the crashes during the three-year stretch were excessive speed-related and two out of the 13 involved either alcohol or drug usage, state documents show.
Those wrecks involved 20 drivers age 30 or over, three 65 or older and three teenaged minors, according to ODOT.
Specific improvements planned by the state include:
• Left-turn lanes will be added on Ohio 48 at the approaches to the intersection.
• The existing signal will be reconstructed to accommodate the new turn lanes.
• The culvert north of the intersection will be replaced to accommodate the wider pavement.
The project is not expected to begin until spring/summer 2024 and is scheduled to take six months. Traffic will be generally maintained on the state route, records show.
A weekend closure of the road - with signed detour - will be required to allow for replacement of the culvert.
Traffic on Nutt and Hibberd may also be detoured to allow for pavement widening at the intersection, according to ODOT.
Upon completion, the Ohio 48 crossroads will include two 12-foot travel lanes, one 10-foot turn lane, state records show.
The work will require up to 1 acre of permanent right-of-way, including a “minor” piece of land on property where a home listed on the National Register of Historic Places is located, state records show.
INTERSECTION CRASHES BY THE NUMBERS
75: Age of oldest driver.
20: Drivers age 30 and over.
16: Age of youngest driver.
13: Crashes from 2017-19.
11: Wrecks during daylight.
9: Rear-end crashes.
0: Involving fatalities and/or excessive speed.
SOURCE: Ohio Department of Transportation.
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