School leaders and parents complained for months. Now, new flashing lights and rumble strips have been installed at the intersections of Possum Road and Selma Pike, near Shawnee High School; South Tecumseh Road and Rebert Pike, near Greenon High School; and Old Columbus Road and Bowman Road, near Northeastern High School, said Clark County Engineer Johnathan Burr.
The $40,000 project is funded by Clark County’s general fund, approved by commissioners last October.
These types of projects usually come from the budget of the Clark County Engineer’s Office, but a shrinking budget did not allow for the improvements.
Commissioners voted to step in to help because safety in the school zones is a community priority, Burr said.
Many students at Shawnee High School said they have already noticed the changes to the roadways.
“The rumbles actually helped a lot, and you can notice (your speed) and you can watch your speed,” said Wesley Doyle, a senior who drives to school each day.
The rumble strips were cut into the roadway over the holiday break, ready for use when students returned to classes after the new year.
“It’s easier to slow down and really pay attention to what’s going on and around you,” Doyle said.
The rumble strips in the roadway accompany the new safety lights at the intersections around all of the schools.
In the intersection at the roadway where drivers encounter a stop sign, a flashing red light sits above the sign. On the roadway where drivers do not stop, yellow flashing lights sit above signs warning drivers of the upcoming intersection, Burr said.
All of the lights are powered by solar energy and have radar detectors that activate the lights when a car is approaching the signs.
The intersection at Selma Pike and Possum Road near Shawnee High School has always been a worry for school district Superintendent Gregg Morris.
“We’ve had a concern for some time about this intersection and severe accidents historically, and we continue to have accidents,” he said.
The lights around the schools should alert drivers to slow down in the school zone, he said, and hopefully get the attention of drivers that might be distracted.
The engineer’s office is in the middle of collecting information for a traffic study with the hopes to reduce the current 55 mph speed limit on Selma Pike near Shawnee High School to 45 mph, Burr said.
Once the local study is done, it must first be approved by the Ohio Department of Transportation before it could change any speed limit, Burr said, but officials hope to have answers by the end of this month.
About the Author