The Ohio Department of Transportation will install a right-turn lane and new traffic signal in Johnstown to improve safety in the area.
Crews will begin the project June 22 and install the turn lane in the northbound lane at State Route 37 and Leafy Dell Road. They will also install the traffic signal and resurface the highway.
ODOT estimates crews will complete the $1.6 million project in summer 2027. They plan to have at least one lane open for commuters for the duration of the project.
In a notice, Johnstown officials said crews will close the Leafy Dell Road and Pershing Avenue entrances June 22 for 30 to 40 days. The Babcock Library and Bright Start Day Care entrances will also close that day but tentatively reopen July 10. Crews plan to maintain two-way traffic on Route 37, the city said.
Crews will begin more extensive work on the Pershing Avenue entrance July 13 for around two weeks.
Detours for commuters are: Croton Road from Route 37 to Eagles Nest Avenue before taking Autumn Leaves Way and Parkdale Drive to reach Leafy Dell Road. Commuters will need to take McCracken Drive and Edwards Road, as well as Oregon Street, to enter Pershing Avenue.
Residents who live in the area around the construction area will need to use the detours during the closure, ODOT spokesperson Chas Cosgrave said.
The intersection is near Johnstown-Monroe Elementary School, and there’s been concern in previous years from parents who felt the area was too dangerous for pedestrians. There’s no traffic signal or crosswalk there, both of which are safety elements parents have requested in the past.
Ohio State Highway Patrol crash data show there have been nine crashes at or near the intersection since 2021, most involving only property damage. Two of the crashes involved minor injuries and one involved a serious injury, Johnstown police reported in 2025.
Advocate reporter Josué Perez can be reached at jhperez@newarkadvocate.com.
This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Johnstown to add traffic light, turn lane at State Route 37, Leafy Dell Road
Reporting by Josué Perez, Newark Advocate / Newark Advocate
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By Josué Perez, Newark Advocate | USA TODAY Network
