Allen County Engineer's Office: Shawnee Road Corridor

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Click Here to View the November 12 Public Involvement Meeting Presentation

Public Involvement Meeting November 12

The Allen County Engineer held a Public Involvement Meeting on Thursday, November 12, 2009, between the hours of 7:00 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. at the Shawnee United Methodist Church, 2600 Zurmehly Road, Lima, Ohio. The purpose of this meeting was to present to the public the recommended preferred alternative for the Shawnee Road Corridor Study and to solicit comments and suggestions.

Representatives from the Allen County Engineers Office, the Ohio Department of Transportation and the consultant team of DLZ and Kohli & Kaliher Associates, Inc. were available to answer questions, provide information to the public and listen to comments and suggestions.

A formal presentation began at 7:00 p.m. During the formal presentation, comments were taken and questions were answered. After the formal presentation, an open house format began at which time the public was able to look at maps and drawings indicating potential roadway improvements. During the open house format, representatives were available to answer questions until 8:30 p.m.

All interested persons, organizations, public officials, etc. were urged to attend this meeting to share their views on the proposed project. Attendees received a packet of information including a Comment Sheet. This Comment Sheet was to be completed and submitted during the meeting or mailed later. All comments had to be received by DLZ no later than November 30, 2009.

Persons that were unable to attend the meeting may call Steve Jewell at DLZ, phone number (614) 888-0040 or Brion Rhodes at the Allen County Engineers Office (419) 228-3196, to request an information packet.

Shawnee Road Corridor Project

Local residents use Shawnee Road, an urban minor arterial, to gain access to local commercial stores, schools and access to I-75. The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) projects an Average Daily Traffic (ADT) for the design year (2030) of 18,910 vehicles north of the Shawnee Road/Adgate Road intersection and 13,530 vehicles south of the Shawnee Road/Zurmehly Road intersection.

The Allen County Engineer has determined that the Shawnee Road Bridge over the Ottawa River is deteriorating, functionally obsolete, and needs to be replaced. It was built in 1958 and currently has a sufficiency rating of 43.5%. The National Bridge Inspection Standards and the Highway Bridge Replacement and Rehabilitation Program recommend upgrading bridges with sufficiency ratings of less than 50%. The lane widths over the bridge on the north side of the intersection are currently 10 feet wide. Current design standards recommend a lane width of 11 to 12 feet. Due to the bridge’s close proximity to the intersection of Shawnee Road and Fort Amanda Road, the replacement bridge will need enough lanes to meet the traffic needs of the 2030 design year.

Currently, Shawnee Road is congested during the AM and PM peak hours and only provides one through lane in each direction, with no turn/auxiliary lanes. The left turn lanes at the signalized intersections are inadequate, contributing to the congestion. This is especially true for southbound traffic on the bridge over the Ottawa River. Local residents experience long delays as they approach the Shawnee Road and Fort Amanda intersection. Solutions for the congestion problem at the intersection include widening Shawnee Road to 4-lanes, 5-lanes, or the installation of a roundabout. Widening Fort Amanda Road has also been proposed as part of conceptual alternatives. Due to the numerous driveways along this corridor, there are documented traffic safety issues that must also be addressed by the roadway improvements, such as access management. Possible access management control functions include medians, right-in/right-out driveways, service roads, and combined driveways.