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BROOKFIELD -- The newly constructed restricted crossing U-turn (RCUT) on U.S. 62 at Bedford Road and Broadway Avenue is the first to be constructed in Mahoning and Trumbull counties.
The RCUT, a $2 million safety project that was completed earlier this month, was designed to reduce crashes, according to Ohio Department of Transportation District 4 spokesman Ray Marsch.
"The point of this (restricted crossing U-turn) is that folks will be focused on two lanes of traffic instead of four," Marsch said. "By eliminating folks from trying to cross over four lanes of traffic, it allows them to focus on two lanes and one direction of traffic, thus improving safety."
In an RCUT configuration, side-street traffic is prohibited from traveling straight through or turning left onto the mainline intersection and mainline traffic may be prohibited from making a left turn onto the side street, according to information on ODOT's website.
At an RCUT intersection, side-street motorists will turn right and do a legal U-turn at a nearby crossover. Mainline motorists may be directed to proceed to the legal U-turn to reach the side street if the left turn is prohibited.
A left-turn lane is added and extra pavement is installed for longer vehicles to make the U-turn, the website states.
Marsch said the routes have changed because of the RCUT, causing some restrictions at Bedford Road and Broadway Avenue.
"At Bedford (Road), folks will now have to make a right-hand turn onto U.S. 62," he said. "We've installed a grassy median in the center of U.S. 62 so folks can't cross U.S. 62 and make that left-hand turn that they were previously able to do. We've turned Broadway (Avenue) into a right-turn only."
According to a news release from ODOT, there were frequent crashes in that area of U.S. 62.
Between 2014 and 2018, there were 16 crashes at the intersection of U.S. 62 and Bedford Road, with one crash in 2018 resulting in a fatality while 10 were injury crashes. Over the same five-year period at the intersection of U.S. 62 and Broadway Avenue, there were 13 total crashes, including four injury crashes, ODOT stated in the news release.
The RCUT also will help reduce high-impact crashes, according to ODOT.
"By changing this section of roadway to a Restricted Crossing U-turn, it will reduce the potential for high-speed angle crashes that are more likely to result in injury," ODOT stated.
RCUTs (restricted crossing U-turns) have been shown to reduce injury crashes by more than 40% and fatal crashes by 70% compared to traditional intersections, ODOT said.
Marsch said since the restricted crossing U-turn was just built, it's too early to determine if crashes have decreased.
He also said that although this is the first restricted crossing U-turn in Mahoning and Trumbull counties, more restricted crossing U-turns are popping up in northeast Ohio in places such as Stark and Summit counties.
Pennsylvania uses them quite frequently, according to the PennDOT website.