BATAVIA, Ohio — The intersection of Ohio State Roads 132 and 222 will reopen Saturday evening, an Ohio Department of Transportation spokesman said.
As drivers approach the newly opened roadway, they are greeted with a new configuration: a roundabout.
The previous intersection was shaped like a “T.” Traffic coming from SR 132 had to stop at a stop sign and then turn onto SR 222, which ran perpendicular to it at 55 mph.
Data from a 2020 study showed 27 crashes between 2016 and 2018. Thirteen of the crashes were angle collisions, and 12 of them were likely the result of a westbound vehicle on SR 132 that “failed to choose an acceptable gap and collided with a northbound vehicle,” the study said.
The $2.5 million project was sponsored by the municipality of Batavia.
Mayor C. Scott Runck told WCPO 9 by phone that he believes the roundabout will improve both safety and traffic flow.
According to Runck, the old configuration could result in up to 15 to 30 cars backing up at the stop sign. The roundabout also eliminated visual obstructions from the overpass bridge.
Runck said he posted a walkthrough on Facebook earlier this week and received a lot of positive feedback.
While roundabouts have been in use in some counties for decades, they are becoming more common in the state system, said ODOT spokeswoman Kathleen Fuller.
They reduced the number of conflict points at the intersection and kept traffic moving, she said.
“The number of delays is reduced because you don’t have to sit and wait for the signal,” Fuller said.
While the intersection will reopen on Saturday, crews will continue working on lighting, landscaping and other aspects of the project throughout the fall.
For Jacob Singleton, a property manager right next to the new roundabout, the reopening of the intersection can’t come soon enough. Road closures and long detours have caused his warehouse’s summer business to plummet, he said. Other tenants have also seen a drop in traffic.
“It was a nightmare,” Singleton said. “It prevented new business from happening. Nobody wanted to deal with it.”
Singleton said last-minute changes to entrance plans and signage had confused customers.
“It has definitely changed the route for a lot of people,” he said.
Singleton said he is all for safety improvements and has regularly seen a tow truck at the intersection after accidents. He hopes the new configuration will improve safety because previously, “people would rush through here.”
“Come on over,” Singleton said to the shops. “We’ll try to make it look nice again soon.”
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