Council held first reading of an ordinance authorizing the city to apply for a Safety Grant through the Ohio Department of Transportation to address safety issues at the intersection of state Routes 198 and 501.
A recent traffic study recommends changes to Stinebaugh and Cole drives, among other issues. According to recommendations from the study, the island on Stinebaugh Drive would be eliminated in favor of a left turn lane and a stop sign would replace the traffic light, and Cole Drive would be changed to a cul-de-sac. Details will be forthcoming at a planned public meeting on the topic. That meeting will be held sometime in August at a date and time to be announced.
Councilors agreed that feedback from affected residents will be critical.
The estimated cost of the project is $800,000 with 90 percent state, 10 percent local funding, plus engineering costs. Work would be done in 2020 at the earliest, Ruck said. The deadline to apply for the grant, however, is in September of this year.
See Tuesday's paper for the full council story.