Engineers Answer Questions About Possible Strongsville Roundabout

STRONGSVILLE, OH — A proposed roundabout at the intersection of Shurmer and Howe roads has raised a lot of questions from residents. The City of Strongsville had engineers working on the project try to answer a few.

City officials said the stretch of Howe Road running past Southpark Mall is projected to be the most congested run of road in a five-county area within 15 years. That corridor has been home to more than 140 accidents between 2015 and 2017, according to data from the city.

To begin remedying the congestion in the area, the city has proposed building the aforementioned roundabout. Residents reacted passionately to announcement, with many questioning the decision to install a roundabout. Strongsville currently has no roundabouts.

After conducting another study of the area, the city's contracted engineering firm again suggested installing a roundabout in the area. The engineers were asked to address some of the most common concerns from residents.

Here's what the engineers said.

Will the roundabout eliminate any gaps (for Canterbury) that the signal now provides for southbound traffic?

This is a great question. As shown in the traffic simulation, the roundabout will not make the condition any worse than it is today. The signal at Pomeroy will still meter southbound traffic and create gaps in traffic heading southbound just as the existing light at Shurmer does in the existing condition. Roundabouts also have a traffic calming effect and will slow vehicles down to 20-25 mph before beginning to accelerate. Only a future three-lane section of Howe Road will improve the existing condition, where vehicles will only need a gap in one direction of traffic at a time, rather than both directions.

Will traffic on Shurmer ever be able to make a turn if traffic on Howe is not stopped by a traditional signal?

As shown in the traffic simulation, the signals at Pomeroy and Drake help to produce gaps in traffic flow in the same way they do today. In addition, the curvature of a roundabout lends itself to gap creation and low speeds. Once in the roundabout a vehicle has the right of way. Thus, any northbound Howe Road traffic wanting to turn left on Shurmer will also create gaps by forcing southbound traffic to yield.

Will the roundabout negatively affect the signals at Drake and Pomeroy?

The roundabout, when modeled with the signals at Drake and Pomeroy, is not shown to negatively affect the operations of the signals. Roundabouts are often used in signalized corridors around the country with no detriment to the surrounding signals.

What about school buses, fire trucks, and RTA buses navigating the roundabout?

Roundabouts are designed to allow a bus, fire truck, or other large vehicle to safely navigate the roundabout. Please see our information table for further details on how this is designed and verified.

What about an interchange at Boston Road and I-71?

ODOT is currently working on seeking approval from FHWA to further study a partial interchange at Boston Road and I-71. Although this is a good sign, the reality is that an actual interchange to relieve the SR 82/I-71 interchange is a long way off and improvements to Howe Road are needed regardless.