The Ohio Department of Transportation built a restricted-crossing U-turn on Route 62 in Masury to alleviate crashes caused by vehicles crossing from one side of Bedford Road to the other without making sure the coast is clear.
But, the R-cut seems to have created its own problems.
“I would like to make it known that the new turnaround at the bottom of Bedford Road on Route 62 is becoming a very dangerous driving area since the new upgrade,” said a person, whose name has been redacted, in an email to the Brookfield Township trustees.
“I alone have almost got into two head-on accidents from drivers going the wrong way on the turnaround,” the citizen said. “I also have two clips on my dash cam from separate incidents that also include people going the wrong way.”
The citizen forwarded the dash-cam video to Trustee Dan Suttles, who sent it onto ODOT.
In short order, ODOT conducted a study of the intersection and “identified countermeasures to better define the right-turn movement from Bedford Road and bring additional awareness to this newly constructed interchange,” said ODOT spokesman Justin Chesnic.
Those countermeasures are:
- Install a “wrong way” sign within the crossover “directly in front of Bedford Road traffic.”
- Add red reflective strips to the post delineators within the crossover only visible from Bedford Road.
- Paint a yellow dotted lane line from the centerline of Bedford to the edge of route 62.
- Add “wrong way” pavement markings within the left-turn lane.
The signs were to be up by the end of February, while pavement markings are dependent on the weather, Chesnic said.
In an email to the trustees, Aaron Conley, speed zone coordinator for ODOT’s District 4, said if there are future problems ODOT “will evaluate installing a median on the side streets to offset the right-turn movement to the right-limiting access into the left-turn lane within the crossover.”
While Suttles said he thought before the R-cut’s construction that it would be “confusing for either seniors or somebody that’s not familiar with our area,” he thanked ODOT for responding so quickly.
Police Chief Dan Faustino said he has increased police presence in the area but thinks the problems will work themselves out as people get used to the R-cut.
“The longer that’s in play down there, they’ll (problems) subside,” he said.
Township Road Supt. Jaime Fredenburg asked motorists to come forward if they see other problems at the R-cut.
Chesnic did not say if ODOT has experienced similar issues at other R-cuts.
Re; Bedford road R-turn. People could learn how to drive, that would be great!
It would have been cheaper and less confusing if you would have just put a traffic light at both intersections! Even the new signs and pavement markings aren’t going to help. It takes me 10 extra minutes to get to and from work now! This was a stupid idea!!