The black wrought iron fence is most often hit just past the McCreight Avenue curve and has in total been hit 65 times since 2018, with winter and wet weather being the worst times, Baker said.
Since the fence on McCreight Avenue was hit in January, two large sections have been missing. Baker said the cemetery has not replaced them, with the expectation that they would soon be hit and damaged again and require costly repairs.
“Everybody’s always offering suggestions, but nothing has seemed to be either approved or to work,” Baker said. “So we had a couple of professionals give us some advice, including the city of Springfield, and we have something that we’re going to try.”
While it may not reduce accidents at the curve, it should prevent crashes into the fence, Baker said.
First, the old fence in that area will be taken down, then a far back mound will be built to go in front of the new fence, which will be further from the curb. There will be “pretty plantings and shrubs and things like that just to make it look nicer,” Baker said.
The Ohio Department of Transportation is funding up to $200,000 of the estimated $530,382 upcoming road improvement project, with the city planning to seek additional funds to cover all of most of the remainder.
The agreement details potential work to be done, including a “shave and pave,” base repair, high friction surface treatment and pavement markings.
City Service Director Chris Moore previously said these are all under consideration and “very likely” to be part of the project. He said a base repair would find areas where the pavement is weakened to be built back up, which would then be followed by a shave and pave with additional asphalt. Markings would then be replaced.
The surface treatment would be a very thin layer that creates friction, making it harder for a car to slide.
Ferncliff has leaned into the pop culture status of the fence, creating an official Facebook page for the fence, where it shares updates, safety reminders and the occasional sad “0 days since last accident” signs. A parody Facebook page was also created from the point of view of the Ferncliff Fence. The fence goes on adventures across Springfield and pokes fun at drivers.
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