GAMBIER — A roundabout is coming to an intersection just outside the Village of Gambier in hopes of lowering the number of minor and fatal accidents.
The roundabout would be at the intersection of Ohio 229 and Ohio 308.
The Ohio Department of Transportation and Gambier village officials are leading the roundabout project with an expected completion date of 2024 to 2025.
Gambier’s Mayor Leeman Kessler wrote on Facebook, “Gambierios! If you’ve been put out by the recent closures, know that it’s ODOT doing preliminary work to prepare for putting in a roundabout at 229/308.”
In December 2020, a 21-year-old Gambier woman died and three people were injured in a two-car collision at the intersection of Ohio 229 and Township Road 259 (Laymon Road) in College Township, according to the Mount Gilead Post of the State Highway Patrol.
Hope D. Woodward-Ginther, 21, of Gambier, was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident, which occurred at about 2:45 p.m., troopers reported. She was a passenger in a 2013 Nissan Leaf, being driven north on Township Road 259 by Rhen D. Woodward-Ginther, 18, of Gambier. Other passengers in the car were Elliot R. Hogue, 17, of Mount Vernon, and Jericah J. Moore, 18, of Howard.
The patrol said Braxton T. Snyder, 23, of Mount Vernon, was driving a 2016 Chrysler 300 westbound on State Route 229.
When Rhen D. Woodward-Ginther entered the intersection in an attempt to cross, his vehicle collided with Snyder’s. Both vehicles traveled west through the intersection before coming to final rest.
From 2015-2020, 17 accidents ranging from minor injury, property damage, and possible injuries were documented at the intersection, according to the state highway patrol office of planning.
After the December 2020 fatal crash, flashing solar lights were attached along the stop signs and brush blocking visibility along the roadway was taken out, village administrator R.C. Wise said.
A traffic light wasn’t added at the intersection due to the limited amount of motorists that drive through, the administrator added.
The roundabout is expected to be completed by 2024 or 2025, Wise said.
Gambier has collected a grant from Central Ohio Rural Planning Organization (CORPO) that’ll be an 80/20 split up to $77,000, though Wise isn’t anticipating the project will reach that amount.
The $77,000 will be used to hire an engineer to make detailed designs of the roundabout and walkway paths, Wise said.
ODOT is making sure vehicles of all sizes can go through the intersection, Wise said. With Gambier having a large pedestrian population, the village would like to make walkways and bike lines along the roundabout, also “making sure vehicles of all sizes can go through the intersection” with estimates coming in around $300,000.
“We would like to be able to get pedestrians and bikes from downtown Gambier to the roundabout, safely,” the village administrator said. “Be able to go to Kokosing River and out to the Kokosing Gap and environment center.”
Wise said a lot of pedestrian traffic goes across the intersection.
The roundabout hopes to cut down on the frequency and severity of traffic accidents, Wise said, noting motorists have to slow down while traversing through a roundabout.
On June 17, engineering firms wanting to be considered for designing the shared use path must turn in their proposal. Those proposals should be scored in time by the internal panel to give Council a recommendation on who to approve at council’s July meeting, Wise said.
“It’s a busy summer.”
