County's first roundabout open at 224/587

Seneca County's first roundabout is open at US 224 and SR 587. The intersection in Loudon Township between New Riegel and Fostoria closed in mid-June for construction, and the Ohio Department of Transportation announced Friday that it's open for use, but lane restrictions are possible as work in finished. ODOT suggested motorists should use caution as they adjust to the new traffic configuration. Construction started in mid-June on the $2.36 million project after a November 2020 online hearing on the topic. During the hearing, the project was described by ODOT personnel as a single-lane roundabout to improve safety at the intersection, which was the site of 13 crashes between 2014 and 2018 — 54% of them resulting in injuries. In spring 2019, there was a fatal accident there. "At the US 224 and SR 587 intersection, 100% of the crashes are angle crashes and left turn, which would be eliminated by a roundabout," ODOT reported at the hearing.