County moves forward on Shawnee Road project

SHAWNEE TOWNSHIP - Allen County engineers are preparing for the second phase of a study on redesigning the intersection of Shawnee and Fort Amanda roads.

Officials from the Allen County Engineer's Office met with commissioners Thursday to discuss the next phase of what will eventually be a $6.5 million effort to widen the heavily traveled intersection. Engineers used $107,000 of a $250,000 state grant on the first part of the study, which narrowed the choices down to two potential designs, either a five-lane intersection or building a roundabout at the intersection. They are planning to use the remaining money, and another $18,000 from the Engineer's Office, to narrow it down to one.

"We're going in with two conceptual alternatives. The next portion will be determine which one will be what we consider the most feasible alternative," said county Bridge Engineer Brion Rhodes.

In February, the Engineer's Office hosted a public hearing to present eight possible plans for the intersection. Those plans included replacing the 50-year-old bridge over the Ottawa River just north of Fort Amanda Road. The list of potential fixes ranged from adding service roads behind businesses along Shawnee Road, widening the road to three, four or five lanes, or even building a roundabout at the intersection.

That last idea drew some criticism at the February meeting, but Rhodes said he's seen the concept work well in other places.

"We're not talking about something like the one at the Town Square, We're talking about a real roundabout. They're starting to build them all over. They're using them now in Columbus, and they work fine," Rhodes said.

Work is expected to begin on the project sometime in 2011 or 2012. How long it will take depends on which model engineers use. Engineer Tim Piper said access to the neighboring businesses will be maintained throughout construction. If the bridge is replaced, traffic will have to be detoured for six to nine months.

In 2005, the intersection was listed among the 10 most dangerous in Allen County. And the Ohio Department of Transportation projects that by 2030, there will be 18,910 vehicles daily north of the Adgate Road intersection and 13,530 vehicles south of the Zurmehly Road intersection.