The Allen County Commissioners approved a petition on Nov. 12 by the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) to close access from Cool Road on both the north and south sides of U.S. 30, and Mayberry Road on the south side only at U.S. 30.

The closures are just one part of a safety project, which includes the construction of a restricted crossing U-turn (RCUT) at U.S. 30 and Thayer Road.

“We did conduct a public involvement process that started back in July and included a 30-day comment period. Based on community feedback, changes were made to address concerns expressed by local residents and businesses.

These changes will allow this important safety improvement to proceed while addressing the needs of the local community,” said Chris Hughes, ODOT District Deputy Director.

“We appreciate everyone’s willingness to work with us to improve safety, and are glad to be able to move the project forward,” said Hughes.

Concerns surrounding emergency response led to changes in access at Mayberry Road which was recommended to be closed in both directions.

Now access to U.S. 30 westbound from the northern leg of Mayberry Road will remain, allowing only right turns off U.S. 30 or onto U.S. 30. Cul-de-sacs will be constructed on the southern leg of Mayberry and on both sides of Cool Road.

In the new design at Thayer Road, where an RCUT will be constructed, the right turn lanes will be offset to allow those entering U.S. 30 a sightline beyond those exiting U.S. 30.

With the public involvement process complete, ODOT and its consultant, Stantec, Cincinnati, will move forward with the final design. The $2.1 million project is expected to be constructed in 2021.