ODOT plans roundabout for state Route 65, Bluelick Road

AMERICAN TOWNSHIP — The Ohio Department of Transportation plans to construct a roundabout at the intersection of state Route 65 and Bluelick Road to alleviate traffic congestion and the potential for serious injuries or fatalities from collisions.

ODOT officials met with American and Bath Township residents Thursday to discuss their plans for the intersection, which was the site of nine crashes in 2022.

The $2.3 million project is in preliminary stages, with the final design subject to change as ODOT officials review public comments and secure right-of-way from landowners and the Ohio Department of Correction.

Construction could begin as early as the summer of 2027, according to a timeline provided to residents Thursday.

ODOT officials presented several designs to residents Thursday, the first day of a 30-day public comment period regarding the project. The agency’s preferred design would shift the intersection slightly to the north toward Allen Oakwood Correctional Institution.

ODOT considered several alternatives, including the possibility of installing left-turn lanes.

Rob White, a capital programs administrator for ODOT, said the turn lanes scored lowest for safety and congestion.

Drivers are more likely to get into T-bone or head-on collisions while turning left, which increases the potential for serious injuries or fatalities, White said. Adding turn lanes would also require ODOT to add a new cycle for the traffic light, further increasing delays at the intersection, he said.

The roundabout option is safer and more efficient, White said, as roundabouts are designed so drivers don’t turn left or get into head-on collisions, thereby lessening the likelihood of serious crashes.

“It’s all right turns,” White said, noting that roundabouts installed at the intersections of state Route 309 and Napoleon Road in Harrod and state Route 81 and Thayer Road have already reduced collisions and serious injury crashes.

ODOT is accepting public comment through Sunday, Nov. 3. Visit www.transportation.ohio.gov/projects/projects/120533 for more information.