Rossford hears Tetra Tech presentation on proposed SR‑65/Glenwood roundabout; council discussion continues

Consultants from Tetra Tech and Edge Group presented plans and safety analysis for a proposed single‑lane roundabout at the intersection of State Route 65, Glenwood Road and Bergen Street during the Rossford City Council meeting on March 24.

Andy Langendurfer of Tetra Tech opened the presentation, stressing safety benefits: "there's a 35% reduction overall with roundabout when you're converting it from a traditional signalized or a 2 way or 4 way stopped intersection," and saying converting the Glenwood intersection would remove opportunities for the most severe crashes. Austin Danton, a project manager on the contract, outlined design concepts and community‑space ideas for the center island and adjacent parcels and described construction timing and access plans.

The consultants said the project would include pedestrian refuge islands and recommended rectangular rapid flashing beacons (RRFBs) near the school. They estimated Rossford’s existing traffic at just under 10,000 vehicles per day and projected 20‑year traffic under a conservative growth rate to be about 12,650 vehicles per day—below the threshold consultants cited for more extensive widening. Tetra Tech presented level‑of‑service modeling showing an AM peak hour northbound Glenwood movement could be an "E" (about 68 seconds of delay) under existing signal operation and would improve under a roundabout to a D (about 27.1 seconds of delay) in the worst case.

Council members pressed consultants on driveway access and parking. Councilmember Caroline asked specifically how private driveways just south of the splitter island would operate; the consultants said those drives would remain south of the splitter island and "there wouldn't be any type of access restrictions for the drive." Danton acknowledged nearby driveways can be difficult at existing roundabouts and said the design is not intended to make those conditions worse.

The consultants said the project would remove roughly 14 on‑street parking spaces (seven on the north side and seven on the south side) and presented a concept to add parking on adjacent blocks of State Route 65. They described a construction schedule that would require final plans to be submitted to the Ohio Department of Transportation on Aug. 15, a November 14 bid date, award in December and construction in the summer following the 2026 school year, with an anticipated 60‑day full closure of the intersection and local detours and business access provisions.

Council discussion included pedestrian safety near the adjacent school, whether the Beech Street stop sign would remain (consultants said it would), signage and enforcement during construction, and how the proposed roundabout compared with high‑volume corridors such as Maumee. Allison Murray, city administrator, introduced the presentation and said engineers would be available at an upcoming open house for related projects.

Ordinance 2025‑19, the city measure authorizing the administrator to work with ODOT on the roundabout, was read by title earlier in the meeting and remains at second reading; council did not vote to adopt it on March 24. The consultants and city staff said further public engagement and final design approvals by ODOT are required before construction can proceed.

The presentation and council questions left the project at the design and review phase; no construction authorization was issued at the March 24 meeting.