LEXINGTON — A $500,000 state grant will fund a long-awaited safety corridor project along East Main Street, between Castor Road and the village square, beginning in September.
“The project has been in the works for nearly four years, following a successful application for a safety grant from the Ohio Department of Transportation,” Mayor Bob Jarvis said.
The construction timeline will begin in September and extend through May 2026.
Jarvis said it likely won’t need that much time, but the extended schedule provides a buffer in case of unexpected delays. Shelly and Sands Inc. will lead the construction work.
Once the village secured the grant, the state took over the project since Main Street is a U.S. route through the village and ODOT is responsible for developing and maintaining it.
ODOT selected Burgess and Niple as the design firm, with Nate Long serving as lead engineer.
“We are grateful for their work on this project,” Jarvis said.
Traffic concerns spark redesign
Jarvis noted accidents have increased along the targeted stretch of road this past year, although he is not certain why. He said the project will address those concerns by changing traffic patterns and adding safety features.
The redesign will reduce the roadway to one travel lane in each direction, east and west. A dual left-turn lane will run through the middle, with a bike lane on both sides. The changes will cover the area from Castor Road to the square.
Jarvis said the lane reduction aims to slow traffic down.
Additional safety measures include curb bump-outs at the bike trail crossing.
Jarvis said the design will narrow the roadway to encourage slower driving and will also feature a flashing crosswalk signal, similar to the system near the Richland County Courthouse.
Near the bridge on East Main Street, the project includes a short right-turn lane onto Castor Road. Concrete barriers will limit its length, another effort to control traffic speed and improve safety.
“We appreciate the engineers’ help with this,” Jarvis said. “They have done a lot of studies and are very qualified. We’re excited to make this stretch of roadway safer for all involved.”
He said that Lexington values partnership with ODOT and the professional engineers who have helped shape this project.
“We’re just excited to have experts provide a solution for us to implement,” Jarvis said.
(Pictures of East Main Street and Castor Road, where construction will take place. Picture Credit: Hannah Martin)
