(The Center Square) – Sixteen Ohio counties are expected to share $61 million from the state for traffic safety projects.
The 27 projects will include installing restricted crossing areas, u-turns, roundabouts, sidewalks and other safety measures.
“Safe roadways are essential to connecting people and businesses across Ohio,” Gov. Mike DeWine. “With the investments made in these projects, we will help save countless lives on Ohio’s roads.”
The projects include a continued focus on roundabouts throughout the state, creating 17 more intersections the state says reduce crashes by nearly 50%. According to the Ohio Department of Transportation, the design reduces serious injury or deadly crashes by almost 80% compared to traditional intersections.
The new roundabouts are designed with large trucks and farm equipment in mind and will include a “truck apron” in the middle that allows larger vehicles to ride up over a curb.
Other safety measures include a roadway reconfiguration called a road diet. It changes the cross-section of an existing roadway to serve walking, biking and driving.
Van Wert County, in northwest Ohio on the Indiana border, will receive the largest allocation – nearly $8.5 million – to build two restricted crossing u-turns and a single-lane roundabout.
The projects were selected by a committee of ODOT staff with a background in funding and program management, safety analysis, traffic operations, roadway design and highway management.
The state also plans to spend $3.5 million on 10 projects from its Transportation Improvement Districts to cover development and construction over the next three years.
The projects range from roadway extensions to turn lanes. The funding is limited to $500,000 per project per fiscal year. The current round of funding is going to projects the state says will support 16 businesses, creating 809 jobs and retaining another 650.
“These investments will go a long way toward ensuring that our state can attract new companies to invest in Ohio and allow existing companies to continue providing quality jobs to Ohioans,” ODOT Director Jack Marchbanks said.
