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Akron plans to eliminate portion of Innerbelt

12/11/2014 - West Side Leader
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By Staff Writer

Changes to state Route 59 in Downtown Akron will affect the area shown above. A public meeting to explain the changes is set for Dec. 18.
Graphic courtesy of the City of Akron
DOWNTOWN AKRON — Akron officials announced plans Dec. 5 to remove part of state Route 59, the Innerbelt, in a project that will improve the surrounding roads and clear the way for future development by local hospitals.

A public meeting to explain the plan will take place Dec. 18 from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Akron-Summit County Main Library, 60 S. High St.

The Innerbelt, also known as Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, is a limited access road that connects Interstates 76 and 77 to the south, west and north sides of Downtown Akron. The current volume of traffic is around 17,760 vehicles per day, while this segment of highway was originally designed for over 120,000 vehicles per day, Akron officials said.

The project would entail removing the limited access freeway between Exchange Street to the south and Howard and North Main streets to the north and rerouting traffic onto Dart and Rand avenues. Both streets will continue to operate as a one-way pair, with Dart Avenue for northbound traffic and Rand Avenue for the southbound traffic, city officials added.

Michael Teodecki, the City of Akron’s Design Division Manager, said the project affects nearly a mile of the roadway.

“The project does not touch the way Route 59 operates from Interstate 77 headed into downtown to Exchange Street,” he said. “At Exchange, cars will exit at Dart. Most traffic already does exit at Dart. We will improve Dart and Rand with a completely full improvement project to properly size them to handle the traffic.”

City officials said the state Route 59 corridor has the highest ranked crash segment in the Akron Metropolitan Area Transportation Study (AMATS) area, and the intersection at North Main and Howard streets is the highest ranked crash intersection in the entire AMATS area. Upon completion of the project, the corridor will provide a safer roadway system through the area, Teodecki said.

He added the project will free up space to provide growth opportunities for businesses, including Akron Children’s Hospital and Akron General Medical Center, which are currently landlocked.

Plans call for construction to take place from March 2016 through November 2017. The project will include new water mains and storm water drainage systems. Sanitary sewers will be repaired and rehabilitated as needed.

Amenities will include new street lighting, street trees and decorative concrete sidewalks. Construction will be sequenced to maintain access to the hospitals and employers in the area at all times.

The total cost is estimated to be about $12.7 million. Partnerships with AMATS and the Ohio Department of Transportation have contributed $5 million and $1.2 million, respectively, city officials said. In addition, the city recently received $3 million in federal safety funds and will request additional local and state funding for the remaining portion.

Written comments or questions on the project may be submitted during the public meeting or may be mailed by Jan. 7 to Michael Teodecki , City of Akron, 166 S. High St., Room 701, Akron, OH 44308.

 

Kathleen Folkerth contributed to this report.

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