Community meets to discuss Howland's diverging diamond interchan - WFMJ.com News weather sports for Youngstown-Warren Ohio

HOWLAND Community members met at the Warren Library, located at 444 Mahoning Avenue, on Wednesday to hear from Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) engineers on the diverging diamond project affecting Howland Township.

The free informational session began at 6 p.m. and featured a presentation and a chance for residents to ask questions about the project.

The project, which is expected to be completed by mid-October, has been affecting traffic in the area of the construction.

Most recently, both the northbound and southbound lanes of State Route 46 will close under State Route 82, beginning on Friday, September 26.

The Ohio Department of Transportation is recommending two detour routes for drivers, including:

• Drivers headed on State Route 46 northbound are encouraged to take State Route 82 east to State Route 193, then to State Route 82 west and onto State Route 46 north
• Drivers headed on State Route 46 southbound are encouraged to take State Route 82 west to Elm Road, then to State Route 82 east and onto State Route 46 south

Justin Chesnic, Public Information Officer with ODOT District Four, told 21 News that the interchange should help with congestion-related car accidents in the area.

"When you have a lot of congestion, that leads to a lot of crashes. This area alone here - this State Route 46 and 82 interchange - between 2012 and 2016, we had about 160 crashes out there, so roughly 40 crashes a year. A lot of those crashes were injury crashes," said Chesnic.

Chesnic says that the plan for the interchange is to help traffic flow more smoothly.

Additionally, Chesnic reassured drivers who may be nervous about the new traffic flow that there will be several signs and markers to help guide drivers.

"There will be a lot of pavement markers, there will be a lot of signage, there will be a lot of overhead signage. So, it'll be very difficult to drive the wrong way or have a hard time maneuvering through there," said Chesnic.

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Public invited tonight to information session on Howland diverging diamond project

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