Route 303 traffic timing changes coming in Brunswick; storm sewer project approved

BRUNSWICK — Traffic bottlenecks and other issues on state Route 303 in Brunswick should be mitigated by an upcoming signal-timing change through the Ohio Department of Transportation, officials said Monday. City Council authorized the project Monday with the expectation of it being carried out as early as summer 2022. All costs will be covered by the state, said Brunswick Public Service Director Paul Barnett. "ODOT is going to come in and do some analysis for us," he said. "They're going to do traffic counts and put together some time frames of what happens when school's in session or when school's not in session. They'll look to see what happens in the winter going into spring, so they're going to get a broad, complete perspective." Barnett said the process is carried out by ODOT at least once every 12 years with increased development sometimes shortening that gap. Timing changes will be put in place at every Brunswick signal on Route 303 by the time work is complete. "This entire thing will determine what normal operations look like at noon on a Saturday or 2 p.m. on a weekday," he said. "It will vary by the date and the time. There's sensors on these systems where if we get a large influx of traffic or no traffic at all, that will also tweak the timing. This is basically just redoing the base operation that was set up 12 years ago." Route 303 on the west side of Interstate 71 remains one of Medina County's busiest traffic corridors, Barnett said. "We're especially talking about between North Carpenter (Road) and I-71," he said. "It may be the highest non-expressway traffic there in the entire county. This could be the last time we do this until 12 years from now, but that depends. It will have to be redone as things build out more. We've had a huge amount of residential and commercial (development) in the past decade, so that's why we're at this stage now. The changes we see in these next 12 years shouldn't be as drastic as the past 12." In other news, Council voted to authorize a contract with S.E.T. Inc. for $1.023 million that will allow for storm sewer installation on Miner Drive, a longtime needed amenity in the area. Planners aim to have that project done by next fall. "We're probably looking at around September for that," Barnett said. "Right now there's just a bunch of ditches out there, so it will be a big improvement for those folks out there. There will also be new roadway in the section that's being rebuilt as part of the project." Contact reporter Jonathan Delozier at (330) 721-4050 or jdelozier@medina-gazette.com.