By the numbers
77 crashes — U.S. 40 from the State Route 4 split to W. Main St.
82 crashes —U.S. 40 and Upper Valley Pike intersection
12 crashes — Upper Valley Pike from SB US 68 ramp to Shrine Road
Source: Clark County-Springfield Transportation Coordinating Committee
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Clark County’s worst crash hot spot soon will get improvements in hopes of reducing rear-end crashes, transportation officials said.
The Ohio Department of Transportation is working on a $2.6 million project to add a traffic signal at the bottom of the ramp from U.S. 68 southbound to Upper Valley Pike and widen the ramp by adding an additional turn lane.
And, after studying the road for years, ODOT and Clark County transportation officials on Friday announced plans to add yellow flashing beacons on reduced speed ahead signs and white LED flashing lights on 50 mph speed limit signs at Ohio 4, U.S. 40 and Upper Valley Pike.
“This intersection has needed safety adjustments, and this is an outstanding move. It will alert people coming 70 mph past George Rogers Park to slow down before they go down that hill and rear-end somebody,” said Clark County Commissioner John Detrick, who praised the county engineer for spearheading the project.
Clark County-Springfield Transportation Coordinating Committee Director Scott Schmid said the area ranks No. 1 on the county’s crash hot spot list because of the severity of the accidents. He also said the area has multiple intersections, is a high traffic area and is the only location in the county where motorists see speed reduced by 20 mph before they reach an intersection where there are vehicles stopped at traffic lights.
He said the flashing lights and improvements to the intersection will be done at the same time and should reduce crashes.
“We want to draw more attention to that drop in speed limit,” Schmid said. “The big project … should help with congestion on the intersection itself, and then the flashers are meant to hopefully bring more people into compliance with the speed limit.”
Approximately 36,440 vehicles and 2,200 trucks entered the intersection per day as of 2014, Schmid said.
Between 2010 and 2012, there were 72 crashes and that includes US 40 eastbound down the hill towards Upper Valley Pike, westbound US 40 at the Upper Valley Pike intersection, and Upper Valley Pike between US 40 and the southbound US 68 ramp, he said.
Schmid said the accidents are likely caused by a combination of speed and congestion.
Clark County commissioners previously had requested a dangerous intersection ahead sign and beacon, but that doesn’t meet state safety standards.
Detrick said commissioners have wanted to make changes to the intersection for 10 years.
“We needed to improve that intersection before. There has been different plans proposed, but we now have a plan for the intersection and this will be part of that, that will save injuries and maybe even a few lives,” Detrick said. “… This is a major step forward.”
ODOT Planning and Engineering Administrator Matt Parrill said during the TCC meeting that officials are ordering the beacons for the project.
Parrill said the flashing lights have been effective at curtailing speeding along southbound Interstate 75 before Stanley Avenue in Dayton where there is a lot of congestion.
He said the beacons alert people that traffic could be stopped.
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