Wednesday, February 14, 2007

State Route 8 Construction Nightmare

The Plain Dealer reported that an access road to handle traffic during the widening and reconstruction of several locations on State Route 8 through Summit County.

From the PD -

A new local road meant to help handle traffic during construction around one of Ohio 8's most clogged locations may not be built in time.

In fact, there's a chance it may never get built.

No one is sure where the $9 million will come from to build the three-lane access road, which would run between Highland and Hines Hill roads. It could serve as an alternate route when the heavily traveled Twinsburg Road intersection is closed during the reconstruction next month of Ohio 8 around the Summit County communities of Northfield Center Township, Macedonia and Boston Heights.

Summit County Engineer Greg Bachman said the road is significant because it will provide alternate access to Ohio 8 and alleviate traffic congestion when the Ohio Department of Transportation closes the Twinsburg Road intersection until late 2009 as part of Ohio 8's major reconstruction.

Starting in March, the Ohio 8 exit near Highland Road will be upgraded. Also, Ohio 8 will be built 25 feet above Twinsburg Road.

The proposed access road would also give residents, businesses and emergency vehicles easier local access, school transportation a better way to reach Nordonia High School, and keep traffic off residential streets.

The road would run through Macedonia, Boston Heights and Northfield Center Township, but these entities do not have the money to build the road, said Summit County Council President Nick Konstandaras. The access road is critical to the new developments that are proposed for the area. More....

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Summit County, Macedonia, Boston Hts, and Northfield Center, should not have to carry the burden of paying for this access road.

Being a state route, these costs should be borne by ODOT and the developer the access road will benefit. The combination of Twinsburg Rd being closed and work to be done Highland Rd & Route 8 will completely cripple the area.

This stretch of Rt 8 is a quagmire at rush hour to begin with and needs to be widened. You would think a better plan or phasing of work, could minimize the impact this work will have on residents, business and school bus traffic.

KING

1 comment:

  1. Driving this section of road during construction on a daily basis, I would have to say the traffic mightmare that it COULD have been did not seem to happen.

    This could only come from cooperation from the contractor and diligence on the part of the communities. Having a deep understanding of this work, looking from the outside, everfything appears to be going good.

    ReplyDelete

Don't be scared!