ODOT proposes more lanes, U-turns, removing three traffic lights along Route 224 in Boardman

Drivers who travel along Boardman Township’s busiest stretch of road can see how their commutes will be impacted by changes proposed by the Ohio Department of Transportation.

ODOT has put up a pre-recorded virtual open house website explaining a proposed $20.3 million project to ease congestion and reduce the number of crashes along Route 224 from Market Street to Tiffany Boulevard that includes six intersections ranked among the top 50 in the Governor's Safety Priorities List.

The presentation includes several animations of how ODOT expects traffic to flow if several traffic lights are removed, more median dividers are installed, and U-turns would be permitted at some intersections.

Plans call for three eastbound travel lanes in the corridor and three westbound travel lanes east of Southern Blvd.  There would be two westbound travel lanes west of Southern Blvd.

 Median dividers that could not be crossed would be installed with designated left and right turn lanes.

In addition, the number of driveways along 224 would be reduced, and turning movements would be limited to reduce the number of crashes.

Existing traffic lights would be removed at the Southern Park Mall entrance, California Ave., and at Applewood Commons Shopping Center where Dick’s Sporting Goods is located.

The plan also calls for the completion of sidewalks and improvement of pedestrian crossings.

Below are links to animations showing how ODOT proposes changes in traffic flow:

Market (SR7) to Southern

Southern Park Mall to California

Tanglewood to Shops West

South Ave Intersection

Shops East to South Ave

South Ave to I-680 Interchange

U-turn at Marinthana

U-turn at Shops West

According to a safety study conducted in 2020, a total of 1,877 crashes occurred in the corridor between 2013 and 2017, with over 30% of these crashes resulting in injuries, three being fatal and 12 involving pedestrians or bicyclists.

Sixty percent of the crashes were rear-end crashes, 14% were from left turns, and 11% were sideswipe crashes. These crash types are often attributed to congestion and left turn movements.

The virtual open house will be available between January 29 and March 1 and can be viewed here. If you do not have internet access, you can have the materials mailed to you by contacting Sean Carpenter at 330-786-2274.

Project information and materials (e.g., presentation, handout, exhibits, comment form) may be requested from the contact below or can be viewed on the project website at the following link: publicinput.com/mah224#tab-40818.

Comments received by March 1 will be compiled, replied to, and posted on the project's website.

The project is currently in its environmental engineering phase, which includes environmental studies and preliminary plan development.

Right-of-way acquisition is scheduled to begin this spring, and construction is expected to start in the spring of 2026 with completion scheduled in the fall of 2027.

Traffic will be maintained during the project and ODOT says construction will take place during off-peak hours.