City-Wide Traffic Signal Improvement Project Goes To Bid

Solon officials are moving forward on the long-anticipated city-wide traffic singal improvement project.

The city has been given authorization from the federal government to seek bids for the project, which is expected to cost about $7.2 million and consist of the replacement or upgrade of 46 traffic signals in Solon, including 13 along the city's main artery, SOM Center Road.

The city will pay 20 percent of the cost, or about $1.44 million, while the rest of the project will be funded by federal and state money.

The project is expected to improve traffic flow through the city and allow officials to better coordinate the working of traffic lights in the event of an emergency. There will be a central computer system located at City Hall that can access all of the traffic signals.

Three traffic lights in the city will be removed as part of the project because they had been deemed by engineers as unwarranted. Those signals are located at Aurora Road and Hawthorne Parkway, Aurora Road and South Miles Road and Bainbridge Road and Kruse Drive.

CIty council approved moving forward with the bidding process earlier this month.

The anticipated construction cost is about $5.6 million, with the rest of the budgeted money set aside for change orders and cost overruns.