Roundabout planned at another set of congested North Ridgeville intersections

NORTH RIDGEVILLE — The city is looking at building another roundabout, this one in the area of the intersections of Mills Road, Stoney Ridge Road and Avalon Drive. City Council read a proposal for the first time Monday that would authorize moving forward with engineering and design services for the project, but Council members will vote on the ordinance at a future meeting. If passed, the ordinance authorizes Mayor Kevin Corcoran to enter the city into a contract with a consulting engineering firm for up to $164,000, for services including geotechnical investigation, field survey, construction plan preparation, environmental investigation and other supplemental services. Most of that cost, nearly $111,000, is anticipated to be paid by a NOPEC Energized Community Grant that North Ridgeville has been receiving annually for several years. The remaining $53,192 would be appropriated and paid by the city. North Ridgeville officials have been talking about the proposal with the American Structurepoint engineering company, the same firm behind the Mills Road and State Route 83 roundabout that was built three years ago, Corcoran said. That roundabout has "exceeded everybody's expectations," he said, adding that traffic at the intersection of Mills Road and State Route 83 has been flowing well since the circle was installed. But the traffic situation at Mills Road, Stoney Ridge Road and Avalon Drive is different. Mills Road dead-ends at Stoney Ridge, and just over 100 feet south of that point, Avalon Drive reaches its eastern endpoint. A study determined that a roundabout would be one of the best solutions for the traffic congestion that tends to develop in the area, according to the city. Community feedback on this roundabout proposal has been minimal thus far. Corcoran said just one resident has reached out to him about the possibility of sidewalks and crossing signals for pedestrians. He expects the engineering firm will take pedestrian use into consideration as it studies the intersections. But as for a project timeline, Corcoran said it is too soon to say. "These kinds of projects take a while to come to fruition," he said. "It's not on the appropriations for this year, so it would be a project that we would maybe put in the appropriations for next year." The proposed Mills Road, Stoney Ridge Road and Avalon Drive roundabout is one of three that could be in North Ridgeville's future. Another is being planned at Chestnut Ridge Road and Alternate State Route 83, and the city of Avon is taking the lead on a proposed roundabout at Mills and Lear Nagle roads, Corcoran told Council. Contact Dylan Reynolds at (440) 329-7123 or dreynolds@chroniclet.com. Follow him on Twitter @drey1357.