ODOT approves two roundabouts in Port Clinton

Melissa Baker
·2 min read
Pat McColley, deputy director of Ohio Department of Transportation, District 2, speaks about plans to add two roundabouts near Port Clinton.
Pat McColley, deputy director of Ohio Department of Transportation, District 2, speaks about plans to add two roundabouts near Port Clinton.

PORT CLINTON - The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) recently announced a $10.9 million project to put in two roundabouts near Port Clinton.

One roundabout will be constructed at the Ohio 2 and Ohio 53 interchange and the second will be at the intersection of Ohio 53 and State Road. ODOT proposed the plan in 2020 to improve the flow of traffic and reduce the number of serious crashes in the tourist area.

Work is slated to begin in September.

“The biggest reason for roundabouts is they are 90% effective in reducing fatalities, 70% about reducing injuries, and 30% in reducing crashes,” said Pat McColley, deputy director of ODOT District 2. They keep traffic moving instead of stopping drivers a red light, he said.

In a study done by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the conversion to roundabouts from red lights in the United States reduced vehicle delays by 981 million hours and fuel consumption by more than 654 million gallons in 2018. Studies by the Federal Highway Administration show that roundabouts reduce car crashes by 48% and reduce injuries by 90% plus there is an 80% drop of serious injury and deadly car crashes, officials shared.

“I think they do help with crashes and the design slows down traffic when it comes to speeding,” said Sgt. Ryan Purpura, a spokesman for the Ohio Highway Patrol.

Sgt. Ryan Purpura, spokesman for the Ohio Highway Patrol
Sgt. Ryan Purpura, spokesman for the Ohio Highway Patrol

McColley also addressed the issues of why Ottawa County and the surrounding areas seem to be putting in roundabouts. He said, “Roundabouts statistically are much safer than red lights, and if you think about it you don’t have to stop, like a traffic light, so there would be less traffic.”

Rhonda Pees, ODOT Regional Public Information Officer, added, “They are proven over and over again to help, and the accidents, if you have any of them, are not as severe as the T-bones as on a regular car accident.”

The roundabouts’ design will have a lower curb height and be wider to benefit boat traffic, campers, and trucks, ODOT said.

This article originally appeared on Fremont News-Messenger: ODOT plans to build two roundabouts near Port Clinton