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More safety concerns raised over guardrail
(by Sue Reid - October 19, 2011)
More safety concerns raised over guardrail
By SUE REID
As the Ohio Department of Transportation nears completion of a guardrail installation project on the Route 422 freeway in Solon to address the dangers of drivers crossing the median, a new set of safety concerns has been noted by residents.
City Council's safety and public properties committee discussed those complaints last week.
Residents have voiced concerns via emails to Mayor Susan A. Drucker over the fact that the offset of the guardrail from the edge of the road does not allow enough room to pull over and be completely off the road.
Traffic engineer Kevin Westbrooks explained that the guardrail is being placed approximately 2 feet off the 4-foot shoulder. That does not allow for a driver to pull off the road on the inside lane, he said. The 2-foot offset from the shoulder is required to allow the guardrail to function properly, he said.
"The crossover guardrails being constructed on SR 422 from Route 91 to SR 271 are the most dangerous rails ever constructed," resident Jon Stratton said. "They should be in the center of the median only. They are so close to the road, a broken-down car doesn't have enough room to get off the highway."
The section of road is also in the Snow Belt, Mr. Stratton said. Mr. Stratton asked that the project be stopped immediately and that the rails be removed "before snow flies."
The project is near completion.
"I understand ODOT is following their standards," resident Adir Ludin said, "but it only takes one drive to see the additional hazard that these guardrails are adding to the road. Not enough room has been left for a stopped or stranded vehicle, or for an emergency vehicle to travel the shoulder."
Fire Chief William J. Shaw, who asked last year that the barrier be installed through ODOT following a four-car accident on the freeway which was the result of a driver crossing over the median, said that while the guardrail addresses the issue of crossover accidents, "I can't say for certain if they've created a whole new set of issues."
Mr. Westbrooks said he agrees that the guardrail should work for the original intent, which was to keep cars from crossing over into the opposing lane."
"Time will tell," Mr. Shaw said. "I drive that route every day. It does look to be close." He said it could be an issue when it snows.
"What area you do have may fill up with snow," Mr. Shaw said.
Mr. Westbrooks said the city has no control over the road or the design of the project, for which ODOT set aside $1 million.
"As long as what ODOT installs meets their standards, there is nothing the city can do," Mr. Westbrooks said. "It's ODOT's project and ODOT's road."
Jackie Schafer, ODOT's public information officer, released the following response to Mr. Stratton's concern: "The intent of the U.S. 422 guardrail improvement project is to prevent cross-median crashes.
"After discussing your concerns with staff engineers, they have conveyed to me that, while the mild grading in the median allows for many vehicles to recover, it also allows for some errant vehicles to continue into oncoming traffic.
"When cross-median crashes occur, they almost always result in serious injury or fatalities," she said. "The existing median grading and inside shoulder width prevented ODOT from locating the barrier anywhere else in the median without improving median grading and drainage as well. Such improvements would have substantially increased the cost of the project."
Councilman William I. Russo said he shares the concerns of residents and that he is frustrated that, when dealing with government entities, projects such as this are under one government purview.
Mr. Russo said it would have been nice to have additional input in the design phase to determine if there was a different way of doing things. But, he noted, something needed to be done to address the safety issues on the road.
Mr. Westbrooks noted that the city had originally requested a cable roil. But after ODOT's review, they thought a guardrail was appropriate, he said.
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