An Auglaize County intersection deemed dangerous by the Ohio Department of Transportation could see a major change later this year.
In a ten-year study by ODOT between 2002 and 2012, the intersection of Wapakoneta-Fisher Road and U.S. Route 33 saw 33 crashes. Two of them were deadly. The biggest cause was because it is at an angle, making it difficult to see traffic on Route 33. The Auglaize County Engineer, Douglas Reinhart, says the proposed reconstruction of the intersection would add extended turning lanes on either side of 33 to reduce time on the busy road. It would also change the entire path of Wapak-Fisher Road.
"When you're coming out of town, that's going to be a really sharp turn to get you perpendicular to 33. Now when you're coming from Fryburg into town, that's going to be a complete relocation," explains Reinhart. "And those two intersections are going to be about 500 feet apart. They're going to separate them. So, again that cuts down two more decisions to make. You don't have to worry about what's going on across the road. You're down to two, instead of sometimes as many as eight decisions."
10% of the $1.8 million project will be funded by Auglaize County, and goes out for bid on April 29th. If approved, construction would start in June and finish in November.
