BRUNSWICK, Ohio — For more than a year, News 5 has been following every twist and turn of the Boston Road interchange project. A major road construction project that could uproot people from their homes.
A new traffic study has been announced by The Ohio Department of Transportation, ODOT and the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency, NOACA.
The goal is to come up with some options to manage heavy traffic around Brunswick and Strongsville along I-71 from Pearl Road to 303. The City of Brunswick said this announcement is a step in the right direction and could provide other alternatives to the building of an interchange at Boston Road.
"The hope is that this study will provide solutions that will actually help alleviate some of the problems in a constructive way," said Nicholas Hanek, Vice Mayor and president of Brunswick City Council.
The City of Strongsville also is in favor of the transportation study, releasing this statement:
"The City of Strongsville welcomes the recent announcement from the Ohio Department of Transportation and the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency on their plans to study the need for potential roadway improvements and new infrastructure to support the continued growth of Southern Cuyahoga County and Northern Medina County.
City officials look forward to working with both the Ohio Department of Transportation and the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency, as well as other regional stakeholders, throughout the upcoming process.
The study, announced by ODOT last week, will look at options to reduce traffic congestion in the south part of Strongsville and northern part of Medina County. “Congestion continues to be an issue in this area and ODOT is committed to working with all stakeholders involved to find a reasonable solution that everyone can agree with,” said ODOT Director Jack Marchbanks."
Nancy Frognowski is part of the grassroots group of homeowners who oppose the interchange project called "Homes Not Highways."
"I waited to find a house in this development by the water," said Frognowski, who lives in Brunswick.
Her friend Mary Vantz lives even closer to the proposed project. Vantz said more options for the project is a good thing, "This is something we have been asking for, for a long time. These are technicians, the engineers, these are the people who are skilled to do this kind of assessment."
Frognowski would not lose her home if the Boston Road interchange became a reality, but her backyard would sit at the heart of the new traffic pattern.
"We have our traffic as it is, and that I can deal with, but it would just, the tranquility and peacefulness would go," said Frognowski.
Frognowski continued, "they are going to revamp the mall and bring in some new businesses that could include hotels, microbreweries, medical offices, fitness centers, which ultimately brings in more traffic, and they have not addressed that issue yet."
There is one piece left that "Homes Not Highways" and the City of Brunswick is concerned about. Language to require an interchange at Boston Road was added to the governor's transportation budget.
"People call me and go can I put money into my home? What happened because the value of my home is down 200,000 on Zillow. I want to retire. What can I do? Will the government take my house?" said Hanek.
Currently, there is an Ohio House Bill and a Senate Bill that would repeal that portion of the transportation budget. Those bills are sitting in committee.
"If these bills are not moved by the end of this year, it's going to have to start the process all over again," said Hanek.
