A dangerous Genoa Township intersection, Plumb Road at State Route 3, is a step closer to becoming safer after Delaware County commissioners approved contributing $50,000 to a Ohio Department of Transportation project.
“ODOT is planning to add turn lanes and a traffic signal,” said county Engineer Chris Bauserman at Monday’s commissioners’ meeting. “We think this would be a great opportunity to improve this intersection.”
“This is a very important improvement project,” said Commissioner Barb Lewis, a former Genoa Township trustee. “There have been several fatalities at Plumb and 3C. I know in the area, it’s been on people’s minds a lot.”
Coincidentally, a single-vehicle accident was reported at the intersection Tuesday morning, but Genoa Township police said there were no injuries.
“The safety of our township residents has been a significant concern at this intersection, especially with the increase in traffic on Route 3,” said Genoa Township Trustee Leo Wilhelm. “The installation of some reflector stop signs in 2011 was a help, but the addition of actual traffic signals and the redesign of this intersection should be a significant improvement.”
“Oftentimes, a car that’s wanting to turn left at Plumb Road from Route 3 will back traffic up because there’s so few gaps to turn,” said chief deputy engineer Robert Riley. “Adding that left turn lane at the intersection and also the traffic signal will make it operate more efficiently, as well as make it much safer to turn off of Plumb Road.”
In April, commissioners had approved a resolution proposing cooperation with ODOT. The resolution approved this week states that the county will contribute a total of $100,000 to the project, with $50,000 coming from the county, subject to contributions of $25,000 each from Genoa and Berkshire townships. Plumb Road is shared by the two townships. The contributions will cover about 10 percent of the construction.
The intersection improvements are actually part of a larger ODOT project that will resurface State Route 3 from Sunbury to Westerville, as well as replace two culverts and upgrade existing signals. The construction contract has yet to be awarded, but construction may begin in September and conclude next year.
“We’re pleased that the efforts to upgrade this intersection are finally becoming a reality,” Wilhelm said. “We’re thankful for the cooperative efforts of officials from Genoa and Berkshire townships, Delaware County and ODOT to finally make this happen.”
“It’s a growing area, so these types of improvements are really needed throughout,” Riley said. “In the southern tier of townships, we’ll be doing these types of projects for years to come.”
