Ohio roadway safety projects: $72M for 23 counties

Ohio PoliticsGov. Mike DeWine announced funding for 33 projects targeting intersections and pedestrian safety through 2032. In this file photo from 2020, highway workers install a sign notifying drivers along Interstate 77 that they're entering a safety corridor, where state troopers and local police increase enforcement of speed limits and other traffic safety laws. (Ohio Department of Transportation)Ohio Department of TransportationBy Mary Frances McGowan, cleveland.comCOLUMBUS, Ohio — Gov. Mike DeWine and Ohio Department of Transportation Director Pamela Boratyn on Thursday announced details on dozens of transportation projects aimed at improving roadway safety across the state.The 33 projects, spread across 23 counties, are are funded with $72 million from ODOT’s Highway Safety Improvement Program, which officials describe as “the largest safety program in the country based on per capita spending.” According to ODOT, the Highway Safety Improvement Program targets road locations with a history of fatal or injury crashes where other safety improvements have not been effective.“By investing in proven safety countermeasures, we’re making our transportation system safer for everyone,” said a statement from DeWine.The funding includes 13 intersection safety projects totaling $46.8 million and 20 pedestrian and roadway departure projects totaling $25.3 million. The projects will be funded during state fiscal years 2027 through 2032.Among the largest individual awards are roundabout projects in Trumbull County ($5.6 million), Delaware County ($5.4 million), Sandusky County ($5.2 million) and Franklin County ($5.1 million). MORE BY MARY FRANCES MCGOWANIn northeast Ohio, three Lorain County projects will get money. This includes $250,000 in 2030 to the city of Lorain for pedestrian improvements, nearly $1.9 million in 2031 to the city of North Ridgeville for sidewalk and systemic pedestrian safety improvements, and a $3.4 million roundabout project slated for 2032 at State Route 301 and Parsons Road. Other planned improvements across the state include turn lanes, intersection upgrades, more visible signs and pavement markings and high-visibility crosswalks, sidewalks and bike lanes.“Every single investment we make in our transportation network is an investment in the safety of the people who use it,” Boratyn said in a statement. Mary Frances McGowan is a statehouse reporter for Cleveland.com covering politics and policy with a focus on heath policy, abortion and reproductive health policy, LGBTQ issues, cannabis policy and Cuyahoga...