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ODOT still reviewing how to improve safety on Route 18 in Medina County

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The Ohio Department of Transportation is still reviewing ways to improve safety along a dangerous, five-mile stretch of state Route 18 in eastern Medina County.

The state agency said Friday that it plans to resurface the roadway and install more than 1,300 raised pavement markings, in addition to adding permanent stripes, and rumble strips along the edge of the road and in the center turn lane.

“Safety and economic development are top priorities for ODOT,” District 3
Deputy Director Howard Huebner said in a statement Friday after a meeting with property owners.

The state agency has been trying to figure out how to improve safety on the road between Windfall Road and Medina Line Road, where there have been about 480 accidents and nine fatalities since 2008. The four-lane road, which also has a center turning lane, divides Sharon and Granger townships.

ODOT had proposed installing a guardrail down the center of the road that would prevent left-hand turns away from intersections. But many businesses and property owners argued against that so the state put the brakes on the idea.

Since then, the state installed four speed signs that alert motorists to how fast they are going. The speed limit in the area is 55 mph, but most people go well above that.

“There is still time in our project schedule to implement these countermeasures and see if a median guardrail is needed,” Huebner said.

The stretch of Route 18 includes a mix of commercial, industrial and residential property.

There has been tremendous growth along the road since ODOT widened and flattened the roadway during a multiyear project that started in 2005.

The resurfacing — technically a microsurfacing when a thin layer of the road is replaced — is expected to begin Sept. 19, with some pavement repairs starting next week. Most of the work is expected to take place in October.

ODOT also is doing additional engineering studies. The state said it will host a public meeting to discuss the findings. No timetable has been set for the meeting.


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