ONTARIO –Three new state-funded traffic roundabouts are headed to Richland County in the next five years, including one in Ontario.
The single-lane roundabouts, totaling about $10.6 million in construction costs, were announced Wednesday by Gov. Mike DeWine and and Ohio Department of Transportation Director Pamela Boratyn.
The local projects are part of a $63 million statewide investment “dedicated to projects that improve roadway safety,” DeWine said.
Roundabouts are planned in 2029/2030 at the intersections of:
— Rock Road and West Fourth Street in the City of Ontario at a cost of $3,276,000.
— Ohio 96 and Ohio 545 at a cost of $3,800,000.
— Ohio 314 and Millsboro Road at a cost of $3,600,000.
All of the projects will come via state funding.
Pong Wu, transportation technical director for the Richland County Regional Planning Commission, hailed the announcement.
He said the roundabout announcement in Ontario came after “nearly 10 months of planning and a comprehensive study conducted jointly by (RCRPC and the City of Ontario).”
“In addition to this project, ODOT District 3 also helped and received safety funds for (the) two other critical intersections,” Wu said.
In the announcement, DeWine said funding from ODOT’s Highway Safety Improvement Program will support 19 safety projects in 14 counties, including the construction of a dozen roundabouts and the installation of several cable barriers.
“We’re always looking at how we can make our transportation system safer,” DeWine said. “These projects will make improvements that will help reduce the number of crashes, making it safer for those who travel in these areas each day.”
Boratyn said all of the intersections were chosen based on need.
“Every project we do has an element of safety built in, but these projects were specifically selected and funded because we know they will save lives and reduce the chance of a serious crash,” she said.
There are currently two roundabouts locally.
One is in the City of Mansfield at the intersection of Middle Bellville and Straub Road, built in 2012. A second one was constructed by Richland County in 2022 at the intersection of Illinois Road/Cook Avenue and Mansfield/Lucas Road.
A third is in the planning stages at the intersection of Lexington-Springmill and Home Roads with construction in 2026. Officials are also considering a roundabout at the intersection of Middle Bellville and Orchard Park.
In his announcement, DeWine said roundabouts are a proven safety measure for reducing severe crashes.
Studies by the Federal Highway Administration show that roundabouts achieve a 44-percent reduction in crashes and reduce serious injury and deadly crashes by nearly 90 percent at two-way stop intersections.
When roundabouts replaced traffic signals, FHWA found a 48-percent reduction in crashes and a nearly 80-percent drop in serious injury and deadly crashes.
“If you are against roundabouts, you are against traffic safety,” ODOT spokesman Matt Bruning said. “You can blow a stop sign … you can miss a light … but you can’t fail to slow down when entering a roundabout.
“Love them or hate them, they work,” he said.
The governor said cable barriers reduce the risk of crashes that occur when a vehicle crosses over a highway median and into oncoming traffic.
A study from the University of Dayton found Ohio’s median cable barriers were 74-percent effective at reducing total crashes and 80-percent effective at reducing fatal and injury crashes.
The study also found that 95 percent of cable median barrier crashes resulted in vehicles being stopped or bounced by the cables, rather than penetrating the barrier.
With an annual budget of more than $180 million, Ohio’s Highway Safety Improvement Program invests more per capita on safety than any other state.
In May, DeWine announced $83 million for 28 roadway safety projects in 22 counties. The program addresses locations with a history of fatal or injury crashes where other safety improvements have not been effective.