AKRON, Ohio — Changes are coming this summer to East Cuyahoga Falls Avenue.
The main goal is to fix the many traffic flow problems seen on the road daily. Between North Main Street and Patterson Avenue, the road has some very wide turn lanes. It can lead to confusion among drivers about where the dividing line is.
"You've got folks passing on both the left and right because there's a little bit of room where they can squeak through," Christine Jonke, the division manager of engineering bureau for the City of Akron, said.
As part of this construction project, a center-left-turn lane will be added to this section of East Cuyahoga Falls Avenue. New marked crosswalks, curb ramps and a bike lane will also be added to this area.
Similar problems exist on the eastern section of the road. Between Patterson and Front Streets, the roads are too narrow, and there are no marked crosswalks. Similar changes will be made in this area as well.
The City of Akron honed in on this area after reviewing accident data from the last five years. 113 accidents happened within that time frame. Most of them were serious or fatal rear-end crashes or sideswipes.
"We have that two-way left turn lane to allow folks to get out of the flow of the traffic and make their left-hand turns in a safe manner without being nervous about being rear-ended or trying to hurry up and get out of people's way," Jonke said.
Construction on the project should start sometime this summer and last for a few months. The city does not expect any project-related closures. Once the changes are made, the city does not see a change in travel times for drivers.
A public comment period for the project is now open. Questions, comments and concerns can be sent via email at CJonke@akronohio.gov. They can also be mailed to:
Akron Engineering Bureau
166 South High Street
Design Division Room 701
Akron, Ohio 44308
Attn: Christine Jonke
The public comment period closes Feb. 23.
