The Ohio Department of Transportation is closing the intersection at Route 33 and County Road 7, or Johnson Road, because of the amount of crashes that happen there, especially when Athens High School lets out for the day.
The decision was made at Tuesday morning’s Athens County Commissioner meeting.
There were 22 crashes from 2007 to 2012, with one of the crashes being fatal, said David Rose, District 10 public information officer for ODOT.
Six of the 22 crashes were caused by illegal maneuvers turning left, Rose added, leading to the addition of a “no turn left” sign at the intersection in 2000.
“We did notice a reduction in crashes, but for some reason people stopped obeying the sign and the numbers returned to their normal level,” Rose said.
The intersection will be closing in the beginning of April and drivers will be informed of the new route, he added. The closure is permanent.
From a safety perspective, it is a minor inconvenience, Rose said.
“It’s just the right thing to do,” he said.
ck813711@ohiou.edu
