ALLEN COUNTY, OH (WLIO) - Preliminary work continues to put in a roundabout at the busy intersection of State Route 81 and Thayer Road. The project is currently in the design phase, and that is expected to wrap up this winter, with construction starting in the fall of next year.
The intersection has been a safety concern with traffic from the Procter & Gamble warehouses and a second plant under construction off of Thayer. Plus, GPS units are sending truck traffic down Thayer Road to avoid driving through downtown Lima.
"The roundabout will really help significantly improve the safety there, by having a traffic-calming effect to slow the traffic on 81 down, as well as eliminating those left turns that we see. So, oftentimes at these stop signs and stop intersections, we see people making left turns and unfortunately getting T-boned by traffic that is traveling much faster, which leads to those very serious and unfortunately sometimes fatal crashes," explained Rob White, Capital Programs Administrator for ODOT District 1.
Governor Mike DeWine announced funding for District 1 to do three other roundabout projects in the next few years. Two are in Hardin County, one at the intersection of State Route 67 and State Route 235, and the other in Kenton between U.S. 68 and State Route 31 near Perry Street. The last one is Defiance County, at the intersection of State Route 15 and State Route 18.
