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City partners with ODOT on Ferncliff safety work after 65 crashes since 2018; $200,000 eligible federal funds with city match approved
Summary
The commission authorized an LPA agreement with ODOT for a Ferncliff area safety project after staff reported 65 crashes in the curve area since 2018; the project will use striping and high‑friction surface treatment and includes up to $200,000 in eligible federal funds and a $330,382 local match.
The Springfield City Commission approved a federal local public agency (LPA) agreement with the Ohio Department of Transportation for safety improvements on State Route 4 in the Ferncliff area and authorized use of up to $200,000 in eligible federal funds with a city match of $330,382.
City staff said the location has experienced 65 crashes since 2018. Staff described improvements that include lane‑striping changes and application of a high‑friction pavement treatment to reduce skidding. Service Director Chris Moore explained the engineering challenge: the road curve is unbanked and was built in an era of slower traffic; re‑grading the curve to add banking would be a multi‑year, multimillion‑dollar project, while the proposed treatments are lower‑cost measures intended to improve safety in the near term. Moore said: “The way to bank that curve would be about a 5 year and $6,000,000 project. This is a much better solution to try to narrow down what the problem is, make the road less slick.”
City staff said ODOT will partner on design and construction; the LPA agreement and the city match were approved by roll call. Staff said the high‑friction treatment is used successfully in other high‑accident spots and does not adversely affect drivability, and that the partnership reduces the city's share of the total cost of work.
The commission approved the agreement and authorized staff to execute necessary documents to implement the project and comply with legal requirements.
