Traffic Woes at Shurmer-Howe Intersection Being Studied

The city is hiring an engineering firm to study how to improve traffic flow at one of Strongsville's most frustrating intersections -- Howe and Shurmer.

City Council this week hired Euthenics Inc. to perform a traffic study at the three-way corner, which a number of motorists have dubbed the worst in Strongsville.

Drivers often has to wait several minutes for the light to change.

"You can sit at that red light for up to five minutes," one reader complained to Strongsville Patch in February.

Strongsville Patch in several stories about the city's traffic problems.

Euthenics said it will do traffic counts on a typical weekday to gauge the volume of cars, then recommend how to best fix the intersection. 

City Engineer Ken Mikula said the study will determine whether another lane should be added to Shurmer Road to separate the left- and right-turn traffic. 

Currently, cars turning right often have to wait behind a line of vehicles making left turns. 

City officials said they are aware of the problem, but the signal has to favor Howe Road, one of the city's busiest roads, to keep traffic from stacking up.

Also, Strongville's lights are synchronized so that changing one would affect all the others in the area.

Euthenics will be paid $3,200 for the traffic study.