Identified by the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) as a high-crash location, the intersection of State Route 682 and Richland Avenue and surrounding corridor were plagued with safety and traffic congestion problems. Located in an area frequented by pedestrians and cyclists, the City engaged B&N to study and design a solution that would provide safe passage for multimodal travelers.
Following a safety study of the Richland Avenue Corridor, B&N recommended that the existing signalized intersection be replaced with a roundabout. In addition to improved safety, increased capacity and environmental benefits, a roundabout was estimated to save between $1 million and $2 million in construction costs compared to a signalized intersection that would have required the adjacent bridge to be widened.
The finished project includes:
- A multilane roundabout
- Structural and aesthetic bridge improvements
- A tunnel and paved pathways for pedestrians and bicyclists
- Aesthetic enhancements throughout the corridor
B&N also assisted the City with obtaining approximately $3 million in grants from ODOT for intersection and bridge improvements and a $1.3 million ODOT Transportation Enhancement Grant for pedestrian and bicyclist enhancements throughout the corridor.
The project received an Innovative Transportation Solutions Award from the Columbus, Ohio chapter of the Women's Transportation Seminar. The project also received an Outstanding Achievement Award from the American Council of Engineering Companies of Ohio.