MANSFIELD, Ohio – Local business owners and those who want to see the total revitalization of downtown Mansfield voiced concerns last week about the Ohio Department of Transportation’s plans to rehabilitate U.S. 30.
ODOT hosted a public meeting at the United Steel Workers Union Hall on Longview Avenue to encourage public input and present the current strategy for upgrading the highway to modern standards. The improvements are from Ohio 39 to Fifth Avenue in Mansfield. Project officials shared updates based on funding, roadway conditions and public input from January’s meeting.
The $118 million project is being 100 percent funded by ODOT and will be completed in two phases: the West project (Ohio 39 to Ohio 13, construction April 2019 to September 2020) and the East project (Ohio 13 to Fifth Avenue, construction April 2020 to September 2021).
John Siegenthaler, owner of Lind Media Company, 409-411 N. Main St., voiced concerns about the safety and upkeep of the proposed noise barriers which will run along the south side of U.S. 30 between Trimble Road and Ohio 39; and north and south sides of U.S. 30 between Ohio 39 and Bowman Street. Siegenthaler’s company has billboards spanning U.S. 30.
Any graffiti or deterioration of the sound barriers would be the responsibility of the city of Mansfield, said Fred Seling of Engineering Associates, a firm hired through ODOT to help with planning of the reconstruction.
“The city can barely pick up the garbage and cut the weeds on the right-of-ways on 30,” Siegenthaler pointed out.
He also wanted to know if officials had researched any crime statistics about “the dark side of sound walls and what the effect on neighborhoods are when you lose that visibility to the highway?”
ODOT is also proposing to combine the exits at Ohio 13 and Ohio 545 into one exit. The length of the bridge will be shortened which will ultimately save about $3 million, officials said.
“The northeast side of the city is in bad shape. They’ve torn down the Tappen plant and the Westinghouse plant,” Siegenthaler said. “If there’s ever a hope to redevelop that part of town, closing off that 545 ramp and cutting off access by Wayne Street, I think is a mistake.”
U.S. 30 was originally constructed in 1956 and needs to be updated to modern design standards. The bridges and pavement are in poor condition and an updated design will help reduce the number and severity of crashes, officials said. In addition to replacing the pavement, ODOT wants to widen the four lanes and the shoulders, replace, remove or reconstruct bridges and other efforts to make driving conditions safer.
Reconstruction of the Ohio 39 interchange was of concern to Shelby government officials Pat Carlisle, Garland Gates and Joe Gies. The current proposed strategy would move the eastbound on and off ramps closer to the highway. The westbound off-ramp would be combined into one ramp and a traffic light would be installed at the intersection of the ramps and Ohio 39.
The new design reduces the amount of pavement to maintain and reduces the number of ramps that require snow removal, which will result in $589,000 of savings, officials said. Ohio 39 would also be reduced to three lanes from Burns Street to just north of the interchange.
Carlisle was concerned about the changes in traffic patterns on Ohio 39 with the reduction of lanes and the installation of a traffic light.
“I have some concern about heavy steel trucks making your new ramp, up to the light, stopping at the light and then pulling up that grade and making that left,” she said. “That’s going to have to be an awful long green light for them to make that because that’s going to be tough for a semi that’s loaded with steel.”
Bob Cohen, Mansfield resident and active member of the ongoing efforts to revitalize downtown, said he understands the effort to make the highway safer by bringing it up to current standards but the reconstruction of the ramps and limited access is antithetical to the current efforts to bring visitors and attract business to the downtown area.
“Instead of having multiple exits very close to each other, have exits that allow people to get off at a first point and off a later point, particularly at the 545 interchange, which has always been an alternate for people getting into the downtown area from the north side,” he said. “It seems that the bulk of the plans are the reconfiguration of where the ramps would be but I think it would impede people from trying to get to downtown. It would add an extra layer of lights or stoppage.”
No final decisions have been made about U.S. 30 improvements and ODOT welcomes more public comment. To submit comments email Mac.Vance@dot.state.oh.us or mail by April 14: Ohio Department of Transportation District 3; Attention: Mac Vance, Planning Section; 906 Clark Avenue, Ashland, OH 44805
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