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Residents tell Strongsville council they oppose proposed Boston Road interchange and Howe Road closure
Summary
Three residents told the March 3 Strongsville council meeting that a proposed interchange and a possible cul‑de‑sac on Howe Road — referenced in testimony about a provision in a state bill — would harm traffic patterns, emergency response and local neighborhoods.
Three residents used the public-comment portion of the March 3 Strongsville City Council meeting to press elected officials to oppose a provision that speakers said is part of a state measure described as “sub house bill 54” and that could enable an interchange at Boston Road and related changes to Howe Road.
Miss Sumasola, who identified her address as 3440 Boston Road, Brunswick, said testimony to the state Senate Transportation Committee had raised “further embarrassment” for Strongsville and questioned the city’s handling of prior studies. She asked the council to continue pursuing conversations about the matter and said she and others had prepared factual testimony for the state committee.
Buckley Wilford of 18583 Benbow Road, Strongsville, said the interchange would take a long time to deliver and urged the city to pursue local fixes such as widening Howe Road rather than waiting for a large interchange project. “Why don't we try to fix it within Strongsville?” he said, adding that closing Howe Road or creating a cul‑de‑sac would shift traffic onto nearby neighborhood streets and could create safety concerns.
Jerry Hamm, 15728 Boston Road, told council members that treating the Howe Road question as solely a Brunswick issue was inaccurate because many Strongsville residents use the route. He urged council to consider alternatives such as adding a third lane on Howe Road to address the congestion caused by large service vehicles.
Speakers raised several specific concerns: that a cul‑de‑sac at the Howe Road end would force detours through residential developments, that emergency response times could increase if primary connections were altered, and that property impacts from an interchange could affect dozens of homes (one speaker referenced “up to 90 houses”). Speakers also cited earlier studies, correspondence and testimony involving NOACA and the Federal Highway Administration in their comments; speakers differed on which agencies had previously advised against or for specific ramp configurations.
Council did not take formal action on the interchange during the meeting. The public comments preceded the council’s votes on ordinances and resolutions later in the agenda.
