Centerville intersection improvements set to wrap up after monthslong delay

Traffic signal reconstruction at the intersection of Spring Valley Pike and South Main Street near downtown Centerville started last April and was scheduled to wrap up by Oct. 31, but supply chain issues have caused delays. The project is now set to be completed by mid-April. JIM NOELKER/STAFF

Credit: JIM NOELKER

Credit: JIM NOELKER

Traffic signal reconstruction at the intersection of Spring Valley Pike and South Main Street near downtown Centerville started last April and was scheduled to wrap up by Oct. 31, but supply chain issues have caused delays. The project is now set to be completed by mid-April. JIM NOELKER/STAFF

A public safety project at a busy Centerville intersection will be completed almost six months later than planned.

Traffic signal reconstruction at Ohio 48 (South Main Street) and Spring Valley Pike started last April and was expected to wrap up by Oct. 31, but was delayed due to supply chain issue with traffic signal poles, according to City Engineer Jim Brinegar.

Other items including pole removal and sidewalk restoration were delayed by new pole delivery, Brinegar said.

The intersection is a “critical” crossroad where about 23,500 vehicles on average travel daily, according to the city. It saw 23 crashes in 2017, 19 in 2018, 4 in both 2019 and 2020 and 13 in 2021, according to Ohio Department of Transportation crash report data.

“This project is all about increasing the safety and efficiency of the intersection,” Brinegar said. “The new design allows more flexibility with the addition of the flashing yellow arrow left-turn lanes. These signals create the ability to have three left turn control options — protected, protected-permissive, or permissive — depending on current traffic conditions.”

That’s accomplished by programing time-of-day or parameters that are dictated by need, he said.

“For example, if we start seeing high accidents between 3 to 3:15 (p.m.) Monday through Friday, because of school dismissals, a protected-only phase could be implemented,” Brinegar said.

The project, which is now scheduled to be completed by mid-April, is estimated to cost $402,457 with the federal government funding $358,187.

Upgrades also involve replacing the existing poles and span wires with mast arm poles to support additional signals with back plates and increased street lighting at the intersection in an effort to enhance safety. Other features include advanced vehicle detection and pedestrian signals.

The new LED signals will make street names more visible, along with improving their appearance.

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