From Saturday's Delaware Gazette (and behind a paywall to boot)
ODOT eyes left-turn lanes at Ohio 315, 750
PAUL COMSTOCK Staff Writer
The Ohio DepartÂment of TransÂportaÂtion has a plan which could lead to the instalÂlaÂtion of left-turn lanes on all approaches to the Ohio 315 and Ohio 750 interÂsecÂtion in 2014.
ODOT DisÂtrict 6 engiÂneer Thom Slack gave details to a FriÂday mornÂing gathÂerÂing of the Greater PowÂell Area ChamÂber of ComÂmerce at the LibÂerty Township-Powell YMCA.
The proÂposal is one part of a larger plan to preÂvent part of the interÂsecÂtion from slidÂing into the OlenÂtangy River.
Slack said the river slowly is eatÂing away the embankÂment north and south of the interÂsecÂtion. ODOT has been develÂopÂing a project "the past couÂple of years" to stop the problem.
AddiÂtionÂally, "there's always been a desire to at least improve the (750 and 315) interÂsecÂtion," he said, "and we wanted to find a way to get as much turn lane as posÂsiÂble in there as part of this project."
The plan is "in very much draft forÂmat," Slack said, and sevÂeral things will have to fall into place before all the turn lanes can be added.
The Ohio 315 paveÂment will have to be widened and ODOT will need to obtain land on the west side of the road.
The plan assumes the remainÂder of the hillÂside on 315's west side can be kept in place by a retainÂing wall yet to be built, Slack said. ODOT will need to conÂfirm that assumpÂtion is correct.
The plan "looks great on a flat piece of paper," he said, but it remains to be seen if it can be sucÂcessÂfully engiÂneered on the actual terrain.
Even if all four turn lanes can be installed, "it's not enough to turn that (trafÂfic) sigÂnal back into nirÂvana," Slack said.
ODOT's tenÂtaÂtive plan calls for a turn lane 300 feet long for northÂbound trafÂfic on 315, and 100 feet long for southÂbound trafÂfic. Those lengths are "a litÂtle bit of a comÂproÂmise," he said.
About 18 months ago, ODOT did a study showÂing the turn lane for northÂbound trafÂfic would have to be 600 feet long "to make the interÂsecÂtion funcÂtion ... propÂerly." That much length would make the project cost-prohibitive, he said.
Such an expanded plan also would need a high rankÂing on ODOT's capÂiÂtal improveÂment project list before it could be funded, he said. Some projects on the list wait years for funding.
The plan to stop eroÂsion caused by the river will be covÂered by mainÂteÂnance funds and won't be on the capÂiÂtal improveÂments list, Slack said. That could increase the likeÂliÂhood funds will be availÂable, but it doesn't guarÂanÂtee it, he said.
He said if the turn-lane plan does sucÂceed, it is "not an effort to turn 315 into a three— or five-lane bouleÂvard" along its length.
Things look more promisÂing for Ohio 750; Slack said ODOT "defÂiÂnitely" can add turn lanes there. The bridge on the east side is wide enough for three marked lanes, and widenÂing 750 on the west side can be accomÂplished with relÂaÂtive ease.
The work on the riverÂbank will be extenÂsive and probÂaÂbly will force a detour of 315, Slack said. PilÂings will be installed to hold up the river's embankment.
At least once before, in 2008, the OlenÂtangy devoured some paveÂment. Part of ChapÂman Road slid into the riverbed, creÂatÂing damÂage exceedÂing $144,000.
Also durÂing the FriÂday sesÂsion, ODOT engiÂneer Fay TayÂlor joined Slack in describÂing work planned on Ohio 750 west of PowÂell. When the work is finÂished, 750 will have mulÂtiÂple lanes between PowÂell and the highway's bypass around the ColumÂbus Zoo and Aquarium.
TayÂlor and Slack also said they would look into some of the ChamÂber memÂbers' conÂcerns about the timÂing of trafÂfic sigÂnals on Ohio 750 (PowÂell Road) inside the city.
I thought the locals were too concerned with the road's scenic and/or rural character to allow any kind of widening.
What they really ought to do is build a 5-lane highway on the top of the hill. I'm not even talking about trying to make an alternate to US 23 here; the area is growing and 315 should be 5 lanes just for the local traffic.
ODOT link for the project - http://www.dot.state.oh.us/districts/D06/projects/315Slope/Pages/default.aspx
(Evidently the public had their say on this back in 2008 while the local's energy went towards "saving" the Orange Road bridge)
Columbus Dispatch recomfirming what the Delaware Gazette had already stated.
http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2012/11/03/relief-down-the-road.html (http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2012/11/03/relief-down-the-road.html)