A proposal that would install a double-sided median guardrail along State Route 18 in an effort to reduce crashes is now on hold, the Ohio Department of Transportation announced Monday.
The proposed guardrail was designed to be installed in the middle of the road, for a five-mile stretch between Windfall Road and the Summit County line.
But ODOT decided the put the project on hold after receiving dozens of comments against the proposal.
Local businesses have been fighting the idea ever since it was proposed, saying it could drive away customers.
"It will inconvenience people to the point where they don't want to stop here, maybe not even go down this route," Julie Bennett--whose family has had a business off the road for years--told newsnet5.com.
“We want to do the right thing, and I think we need to take a hard look at all the options available in terms of improving safety for the nearly 25,000 motorists driving this route each day before we decide what is right,” said ODOT District 3 Deputy Director Howard Huebner in a statement Monday.
Since 2008, there have been 481 crashes along the five-mile corridor, according to ODOT.
