UPPER SANDUSKY, Ohio — The primary driving route between the Toledo area and Columbus may soon have slightly fewer intersections.
The Ohio Department of Transportation is planning to cut off access between U.S. 23 and rural roads at five Wyandot County intersections, while reconfiguring two others to eliminate straight and left-turn movements from the side roads there.
Officials hope that by eliminating situations where motorists have to cross divided four-lane highways in one move, or stop in the median, high-speed perpendicular crashes will be reduced.
“We are seeing a trend of increasing numbers of severe crashes occurring at intersections on rural, four-lane divided highways,” Chris Hughes, ODOT’s district deputy director in Lima, said. “A combination of high traffic volumes, high travel speeds, and the complexity of crossing these intersections makes them prone to severe crashes.”
The changes, Mr. Hughes said, will allow drivers “to focus their attention on one direction of opposing traffic at a time.”
The proposed changes will be described in a prerecorded, online presentation that ODOT plans to post Tuesday at www.transportation.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/odot/projects/projects/109362. Because of coronavirus constraints, ODOT is not planning a live meeting about the project, but will receive comments online and by telephone.
Construction is tentatively scheduled for 2022. All of the affected intersections are south of Upper Sandusky.
State Rt. 15 between Findlay and Carey, Ohio and U.S. 23 south of Carey form the main route between Toledo and metro Columbus. Although sections of the highway have only interchanges, it has numerous intersections along with a 65-mph speed limit until it reaches Waldo, Ohio, where the limit drops and stoplights come into play.
The U.S. 23 crossroads ODOT plans to sever are Wyandot County/Pitt Township Road 62, Pitt Township Road 65, Wyandot County Road 74, and Antrim Township roads 72 and 68.
At State Rt. 294 and at County Road 113/Pitt Township Road 124, the intersections are to be rebuilt as Restricted Crossing U-Turns.
That design requires all traffic on the side road to turn right onto the main road — U.S. 23, in this case — with motorists wishing to cross the main road directed to make a U-turn a short distance away. From there, those drivers can continue on the main road or turn right when they return to the intersection.
Traffic wishing to turn left from U.S. 23 onto the side roads, however, is allowed to do so at the main intersection, rather than having to U-turn and come back to a right turn.
A comment form will be available as part of the online presentation. Questions or comments about the project also may be directed to project manager Jennifer Gasser at jennifer.gasser@dot.ohio.gov or 419-999-6871. People without Internet access also may request a transcript and hard copy of the presentation by calling that phone number.
ODOT asked that people wishing to comment do so by Aug. 7.
First Published July 5, 2020, 11:14 p.m.
