Green prepares for another go-round with traffic hassles as Massillon Road overhaul nears

Next month, travelers and businesses along the busiest stretch of road in Green will feel a big change as work on the $7.9 million Massillon Road South project, financed with about $5 million in federal funds, begins in earnest.

That means delays, detours and headaches are just around the corner. The pain, said city officials at a meeting Wednesday at Menches Brothers, is necessary for future gain as traffic grows along the road.

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“This is one of the busiest places in the area, but it’s also easy to get through,” the mayor told attendees at a business roundtable on Wednesday. “These improvements are significant for traffic flow. There will come a time when we have 40,000 (vehicles) a day.”

Right now, the section of Massillon Road handles about 24,000 vehicles daily, the mayor said, comparing traffic to the Montrose commercial district. There, about 30,000 vehicles a day stop, start and stop on their mission to shop or on the way to and from work.

“That’s only 4,000 a day more on that wide sea of pavement,” he said.

Green Mayor Gerard Neugebauer said the city wanted to avoid the Montrose response to high traffic volumes, and determined roundabouts would help keep traffic flowing without adding multiple lanes. While studying solutions to growing traffic volume on Massillon Road as far back as 2014, city officials found that nine lanes would be needed to handle vehicle flow without the circular constructions.

“Nine lanes of traffic,” he said. “It’s not what we want.”

City Engineer Paul Pickett concurred.

“It solved that impossible problem of not wanting to build a street like in Montrose,” he said.

'One of the toughest of all'

Zach Kimble, project manager for Anser Advisory, said utilities work on the project has begun, with Ohio Edison and Dominion East Ohio relocating electric and gas lines.

But drivers will see and feel the effects of construction work in July in the 18-month project, he said. Temporary pavement will be added on the west side of the road to accommodate upcoming construction, he said.

Kimble said the project is contending with post-pandemic economic hiccups like most U.S. businesses.

“We are dealing with supply-chain issues just like everyone else is,” he said.

That uncertainty makes it more difficult to pin down a timeline for completion of the projects various phases, he told the assembled business representatives.

“We’re always going to be changing and adapting,” he said. “The more communication we have, the better off for me and the better off for you.”

Pickett said the scope and scale of the project makes it unique.

“This one will be the toughest of all because we can’t close Massillon Road,” he said.

Signage of the times

Valerie Wolford, communications manager for Green, said the city will work to keep businesses in the project area apprised of developments through a newsletter and text alerts. Kimble will be first point of contact for businesses with concerns or suggestions.

“Signage is very important to tell folks how to get to businesses,” she said.

Neugebauer said the city was committed to keeping the businesses and public informed about the project's progress.

“We’re doing our best to minimize your pain,” he said. “If you have to sit in traffic, but you know ahead of time, it’s (more]) bearable.”

Richard F. Rebadow, vice president of business development for CAM Inc., which owns the Shops of Green where Menches Brothers is located, said the meeting was useful.

Some municipalities are less communicative about their projects, making planning more difficult, he said. In extreme cases, some businesses are forced to close as a project drags on and planning becomes an impossibility.

“I think a session like this is very helpful, very proactive,” he said. “They have a (good) track record.”

The mayor said federal funds will pay for about 70% to 75% of the project.

Just north of the new project, the city recently completed the addition of three roundabouts in another major effort. Traffic counts at the Raber Road intersection have climbed steadily since a drop in COVID-19 year 2021, according to Ohio Department of Transportation traffic research.

ODOT data for the Raber Road-Massillon Road intersection show average annual daily traffic of 16,406 vehicles, up from 15,629 last year. In 2021, the traffic measure increased 10% from 2020. The 2022 count is a recent high, slightly above the 16,234 recorded during pre-pandemic year 2019.

Neugebauer said the current project will keep traffic flowing for decades to come.

“We are taking that next step to prepare ourselves for continued growth,” he said.

Leave a message for Alan Ashworth at 330-996-3859 or email him at aashworth@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @newsalanbeaconj.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Green prepares to add roundabouts to busy Massillon Road corridor