The Ohio Department of Transportation is seeking residents’ feedback on a proposed roundabout to improve safety at a Licking County intersection.
Crews would build the single-lane roundabout at the intersection of State Route 37, State Route 310 and Windy Hollow Road in Licking Township. ODOT estimates construction would cost $3.9 million and would begin in spring 2029, with crews closing through traffic to commuters approaching SR 37 and Windy Hollow Road.
During construction, access to residential and commercial driveways would be maintained, and ODOT would build a temporary roadway west of the intersection to maintain two-way traffic.
“The primary purpose of the project is to improve safety at the intersection of SR 37 and SR 310,” ODOT said about the project. “According to ODOT’s Highway Safety Improvement Program 2021 Safety Priority List, the intersection was ranked the 164th rural intersection statewide as a location to address safety concerns. Angle crashes – also known as T-bone crashes – are the most common type of crash.”
According to ODOT data, there have been at least 15 crashes there since 2017, with six of them happening that year. There was a T-bone crash there in 2024 that resulted in a serious injury.
The project is in development, according to ODOT’s website. The agency is asking residents to provide feedback through June 19 via a virtual open house.
ODOT has considered other possible solutions for the intersection, including widening left turn lanes or installing traffic signals. The agency dismissed the signalization idea because the intersection doesn’t meet Federal Highway Administration standards, and believes installing them would negatively affect the area.
ODOT considers the roundabout solution the best option because it enhances traffic safety and capacity while mitigating impacts on properties in the area, according to its fact sheet.
The agency completed a safety study of the intersection in 2023 before starting the design of the project in 2025. ODOT is studying the project’s impact on the environment in the area, but expects those to be minimal, the sheet states. ODOT is planning to start right-of-way acquisitions in the area in 2027.
According to ODOT, roundabouts help reduce speeds and the possibility of collisions while improving the efficiency of intersections.
Advocate reporter Josué Perez can be reached at jhperez@newarkadvocate.com.
This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: ODOT seeks feedback on roundabout at SR 37 & 310 in Licking County
Reporting by Josué Perez, Newark Advocate / Newark Advocate
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