Representatives of the Ohio Department of Transportation will update residents of North Ridgeville on the proposed widening of Center Ridge Road in that city at a public informational meeting scheduled for March 13, 2014. Property to complete the widening could be obtained through condemnation proceedings if affected property owners and ODOT do not agree on fair compensation for their property. It is too early to know whether the eminent domain process will be used.
ODOT said that the widening of Center Ridge Road – also known as U.S. Route 20 – is needed to relieve traffic congestion and increase safety on the road. Center Ridge Road is the main thoroughfare through North Ridgeville.
Presently, Center Ridge Road is three lanes in width. City and state officials maintain that the three lane highway is insufficient for the estimated 17,000 vehicles that use the road daily. City officials have discussed the widening project for about nine years. The city believes that, in addition to easing congestion and improving safety, additional lanes of travel would promote economic growth in the city’s commercial area.
A state study recommended widening the existing highway from three lanes to five lanes, reducing access points, adding a sidewalk to the north side of the road and adding a multi-use path on the south side of the road.
The road widening project bears an estimated cost of more than $56 million according to ODOT representatives. The projected date for the start of construction is November 2016.
At Clark, Perdue & List, our Ohio eminent domain attorneys, assist property owners in obtaining fair compensation for property taken by governmental agencies for public projects. If you own property that may be subject to eminent domain proceedings, contact Clark, Perdue & List.