Citing Safety, Solon Wants Traffic Barriers Removed From U.S. 422

Solon officials have been hoping for a traffic barrier on U.S. 422 for years to prevent cars crossing the grassy median and causing head-on collisions.

But now that barriers are being installed, Solon officials want them gone. Solon City Council voted last week to send a letter to the Ohio Department of Transportation and Gov. John Kasich asking that the barriers be removed.

City officials think the barriers are actually making the highway more dangerous.

The barriers, being erected by ODOT, are being built along both the east- and west-bound sides of U.S. 422. The barriers are only a few feet from the left lane on both sides.

Ward 3 Councilwoman Toni Richmond said she is concerned that there is no room for a car in the left lane to pull off the road if there is a problem. A worse scenario, she said, is that an accident may create a chain reaction of accidents on the busy highway.

She is particularly concerned about how dangerous it will be during the upcoming winter months.

Kevin Westbrooks, Solon's traffic engineer, has said that the barrier was installed near the inside of each freeway and not in the center of the median because of sewer drainage infrastructure there. Replacing that would have made the project too expensive.

The barriers will be discussed Wednesday night when the safety committee meets at .

Stay tuned for more on this story as it develops.