GEAUGA COUNTY, Ohio — Changes are coming to a well-traveled interstate in Geauga County.
ODOT is planning to add left turn lanes at the intersection of U.S. 422 and Rapids Road. Construction is set to begin in the summer of 2027.
The announcement comes as a relief to many local drivers.
"If you're making a left-hand turn on Rapids Road," Cody Chavart, a local driver, said. "It could take you anywhere from five to ten minutes just to get that left-hand turn, but everyone else is trying to go straight."
The intersection has become so notorious for backups that locals try to avoid traveling through the area.
"We just try to avoid it because you know it's just going to add so much time into your travel," Stephen Horvath, a Burton driver, said. "There are other routes to get to 422."
Those concerns, coupled with the amount of rear-end accidents, caught the attention of the Ohio Department of Transportation, which helped develop the plan. It's the hope that the $2 million project will reduce the number of crashes at the intersection.
Before details are finalized, ODOT wants to hear from the community.
"We just want to make sure we're not forgetting anything," Brent Kovacs, an ODOT District 12 PIO, said. "This is a very challenging area. We just want to get motorists' ideas, what they're thinking, how we could improve it."
There are a few ways to share your thoughts:
- Attend ODOT's open house on Thursday, January 9, at Adam Hall Community Center. Representatives with the project will be on hand to answer questions and take suggestions from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
- Submit a comment online. Click here to leave a comment.
- Write a letter and mail it to:
Corey Marie Czinger, Environmental Specialist 3
5500 Transportation Boulevard
Garfield Heights, Ohio 44125 - Send an email to Corey.Czinger@dot.ohio.gov
- Give ODOT a call at (216) 584-2149
Comments will be received until February 9.
