Thursday, May 9, 2013
Strongsville hires engineering firm to tackle another snarl
The city has hired an engineering firm to design a way to fix traffic snarls at the intersection of Albion and Prospect roads. City Engineer Ken Mikula said the solution will include widening the intersection and putting in left-turn lanes, as well as new signals. The project will involve reconstructing the entire intersection with concrete and new drainage, and could also include adding a right-turn lane, if warranted by a traffic survey. Currently, there are no left-turn lanes on either eastbound or westbound Albion. But the project hinges on finding funding, Mayor Tom Perciak said. "Non of this can happen without grant money," Perciak told City Council on Monday. "We'll pray for grant money then," Ward 4 Councilman Scott Maloney said…
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Now's the time to ask for money for that and other road projects, Strongsville councilman says
A Strongsville City Councilman is urging the city to make a "wish list" of road projects -- including an I-71 interchange at Boston Road -- that might snare a share of an estimated $1.5 billion generated when Ohio issues bonds on the turnpike. "I think what we have is a golden opportunity," Councilman at large Duke Southworth said. "I think a lot of towns are going to be lining up with their hands out." Strongsville needs to be in that line, Southworth said. "We need to be vocal and aggressive and see how much money we can get back into Strongsville," he said. Yes, Even an Interchange Southworth said the city needs to clear up traffic congestion on Royalton Road area near I-71, and believes now may be the time to revive 30-year-old …
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
City wants $5 million to help untangle Royalton Road area
The city is asking the Ohio Department of Transportation for $5 million to improve traffic flow in the Royalton Road-Interchange 71 area. City Council last week authorized the city to seek a grant from the Highway Safety Program. City Engineer Ken Mikula said Strongsville has already asked ODOT to look into ways to make the Royalton-I-71 area safer and easier to drive through. With several improvements now in the planning stages the money would go toward engineering and construction, he said. "We're piecing them all together to try to make a difference up there," Mikula said. Royalton Road is the city's accident hotspot, according to the police department, and is also a source of complaints from motorists. Some steps have already been …
Thursday, February 21, 2013
New system would make traffic flow smoother, official says
Strongsville will seek a grant from the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency to upgrade nearly every traffic signal in town. City Engineer Ken Mikula said it's been more than a decade since the signals were last updated -- a project that replaced wires with mast arms, added traffic-detecting equipment and synchronized lights with others in the area. The new project would install LED lights and a camera system to detect traffic. It would also synchronize all signals on a master controller, instead of four separate systems in use now. "It would be similar to what we did (last year) on Pearl Road," Mikula said. Four intersections on Pearl Road got state-of-the-art traffic signals with video technology as part of the widening project…
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Strongsville is hiring engineer to realign frustrating intersection
Strongsville is taking the next step toward making the corner of Howe and Shurmer roads a little less annoying. City Council this week agreed to start looking for an engineering firm to design plans to fix the intersection so traffic flows more smoothly. "It won't be that much different, but it will be more like what you see at Drake and Howe," City Engineer Ken Mikula said. The solution will entail widening both roads at that corner and: • Installing a proper-length left-turn lane onto Shurmer for traffic traveling north on Howe. • Adding a left-turn lane for Shurmer traffic turning onto Howe. • Putting in a right-turn lane for southbound Howe Road traffic to turn onto Shurmer. The recommendations came from Euthenics Inc., an …
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
City will try to improve flow at Albion-Prospect intersection
The city is seeking an engineering firm to design a solution to traffic jams at the intersection of Albion and Prospect roads. City Engineer Ken Mikula said the solution will include "adding left-turn lanes where there aren't any now -- on eastbound and westbound Albion." The project will also involve reconstructing the entire intersection with concrete and new drainage, and could also include adding a right-turn lane, if warranted by a traffic survey. "We know for sure it will add left-turn lanes," Mikula said. He said the project is aimed at reducing traffic snarls at the intersection, particularly during rush hour, when motorists coming from Pearl Road stack up at the signal. Currently, there is a left-turn arrow for westbound traffic…
Sunday, October 7, 2012
Here's what happened in Strongsville in the last few days
A rundown of the top stories in town this week: Traffic woes at plaza -- The Plaza at SouthPark has gotten permission to add an access road that will give motorists another way to get to Costco, Best Buy, Rosewood Grill and other stores other than waiting in long left-turn line. New business wants to take over gas station -- A Medina company that says it's a one-stop shop for home remodelers has submitted plans to revamp the old service station at Pearl and Westwood. Homes in foreclosure -- There are 12 houses in Strongsville going to sheriff's sale in October. Giant Eagle ready to start -- The company plans to break ground on its new Market District store this month, with a late-summer opening likely. New jobs -- New and expanding …
Friday, October 5, 2012
New street should be done by holidays, developer says
An access road that will link the Plaza at SouthPark with the two shopping centers to the west has been approved. The Strongsville Planning Commission voted unanimously Thursday night to allow Visconsi Companies to build a 450-foot road that will run behind Ledgewood Square and connect with the driveway at the Borders Plaza. Traffic will be able to get in and out using the Borders driveway -- it aligns with an entrance to SouthPark Mall -- or can continue west through the parking lot and use Falling Water Drive. The aim is to alleviate traffic tie-ups at Royalton and Howe roads -- in particular, eastbound traffic that stacks up trying to turn left into the Plaza at SouthPark. "It's really going to relieve a lot of traffic at Howe and (…
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
New access road will serve Plaza at SouthPark
Motorists trying to visit Costco, Best Buy, Rosewood Grill and other businesses in the Plaza at SouthPark may soon be able to get there without waiting in a line of traffic first. The plaza owners are seeking to build an access road that would run behind the adjacent Royalton Road stores and connect with the driveway that serves the former Borders Plaza. It would offer eastbound traffic another point of access that doesn't involve waiting in a long line of cars trying to turn left into the newer plaza. Motorists have listed that area among their top traffic peeves in Strongsville. "Obviously, we need another way to get in and out of there," City Engineer Ken Mikula said. "This is a great project." The access road will run past Rosewood …
Saturday, July 14, 2012
Several intersections have motorists frustrated
The traffic signals near SouthPark Mall were -- not too surprisingly -- among the least favorite of Strongsville motorists in an unofficial Strongsville Patch survey. Here are the top 3 named by readers: 1. Christina pointed to gridlock at the Howe-Royalton intersection in the evenings, when cars pull into the intersection rather than wait for a red light, blocking cross traffic. "I'm not kidding when I say it took us 45 minutes to leave Costco this evening," she wrote. Others complained about getting into Costco. "Turning left off 82 to get to Costco is definitely the worst one I've experienced," one man said. 2. Waiting on Shurmer Road to turn left onto Howe Road was named by several drivers. "It feels like you wait at least 5-10 minutes…
Dan Marol
1:58 pm on Saturday, May 11, 2013
Ugh....a little housewife with way too much time on her hands, but I think that's been said before.. more ›