More than $7.1 million in safety improvements are expected to be made to Dayton Springfield Road this year to decrease accidents.

Traffic data shows that 83 crashes occurred along Dayton Springfield Road between 2010 and 2012, with more than half or 47 classified as rear-end crashes, Clark County-Springfield Transportation Coordinating Committee Director Scott Schmid said.

A study conducted by the Ohio Department of Transportation showed 78 crashes occurred between 2004 and 2006 in the same 3.33-mile stretch, with rear-end crashes accounting for 59 percent of the collisions. T-bone or angle crashes were the next most frequent type of crash, accounting for 21 percent of the accidents, according to the study.

“(Dayton Springfield Road) contains a high density of driveways providing access to a variety of land uses, including residential, retail, institutional and industrial operations. High numbers of rear-end collisions are often a symptom of excessive access points for the traffic volume and operating speed of a road as accidents occur when vehicles slow to turn into driveways or streets,” the study said.

To ease congestion and improve safety, Clark County Engineer John Burr and Schmid said construction crews plan to make a number of changes. Those changes include replacing and upgrading traffic signals and adding a two-way left turn lane throughout the commercial and residential areas west of Enon.

“If we can move those cars turning left out of the way, we can cut those rear-end crashes down,” Schmid said.

Schmid said Dayton Springfield Road is heavily traveled road because of commercial and residential development in the area.

Dayton Springfield Road, also known as County Road 333, connects interstates 675 and 70 and is the main thoroughfare for Enon.

The posted speed limit along most of the road is 45 mph and toward the northern end of the road the posted speed limit drops to 35 mph, according to the study. But traffic count information collected by Burr’s office showed 85 percent of motorists drive between 42 to 54 mph along the road.

Burr said the construction will be funded with state and federal money, and it could begin this spring or summer.

Schmid said the goal is to keep traffic moving along the busy stretch.

“It’s heavily populated. Cars are turning left and blocking roadway. People are doing dangerous things. This would help alleviate that. We’re trying to give people a fighting chance,” Schmid said.