Stark County has a new No. 1 most dangerous intersection. See the rankings

The Marlboro Township intersection is the most dangerous intersection in Stark County.

State Route 173 and Paris Avenue NE at the top Latest rankings from the Stark County Area Transportation Study One of the most dangerous intersections in society.

It rose from 2nd place to 1st place in the previous report.

Annual Stark County Area Transportation Study The Crash Report identifies dangerous intersections by taking into account the number of crashes, crash rate and crash severity. Accident data for 2022, 2023 and 2024 were used in the report published in September.

Last year, there were 8,389 accidents throughout the district; This is a slight increase from the previous year’s 8,326.

State Route 173 and Paris Avenue NE are located in a rural area with two-lane roads controlled by stop signs on Paris Avenue. There is a significant slope angle and a slight hill towards the east. Despite being one of the least busy intersections on the list, with average daily traffic of just 5,540 vehicles, a disproportionate number of serious injury crashes affected the hazard rating.

From 2022 to 2024, there were 22 crashes, two of which resulted in serious injuries. The most important cause of accidents was not flowing (60%).

Ohio Department of Transportation Spokesman Justin Chesnic said the department recently received funding to build a roundabout at the intersection. He said this would help slow drivers down and reduce more serious crashes.

“You keep traffic flowing and you slow traffic down,” he said. “If accidents do happen at roundabouts, they are usually very minor.”

Construction is expected to begin around 2029.

Meanwhile, ODOT has updated the signs at the intersection.

Serious accidents common at the intersection of State Route 173, Paris Avenue NE

Marlboro County Police Chief Ronald Devies said the roundabout could greatly improve safety at the intersection.

“They significantly reduce the severity of accidents,” he said. “That’s the problem we have; not only do we have a lot of accidents out there, but we also have a lot of serious accidents where people are seriously injured or killed.

“I’ve been wanting an intersection built there for years,” Devies said.

He advised drivers at the intersection to be extra careful not to speed and to pay attention to traffic when stopped at a stop sign.

“If people slowed down, if people at the stop sign took the time to look left, right and left again, that would probably help a lot,” Devies said.

The rest of the intersections in Stark County that made the top 10 list for dangers are:

2024 Stark County Accident Report with Grace Springer

No. 2: 15th Street NE and Walnut Avenue NE in Canton

This intersection of two city streets in Canton rose from 10th place in 2023 to 2nd place in 2024.

The intersection of 15th Street NE and Walnut Avene NE is controlled by stop signs at 15th Street. Walnut Boulevard is a southbound one-way street. There are some visibility problems when looking north.

Approximately 2,900 vehicles enter the traffic per day.

From 2022 to 2024, there were 21 crashes without serious injuries or deaths. Most of the accidents (71%) were caused by vehicles running stop signs.

Canton Traffic Engineer Nicholas Loukas said westbound vehicles on 15th Street often fail to yield, causing accidents.

“We’re not sure why this type of crash is so common. Visibility to the north appears to be good,” he said.

Loukas said speeding may be a factor in some crashes on Walnut, but generally not.

Obstacles were removed in late 2023 and early 2024 to increase visibility at the intersection. The city periodically monitors the area to ensure vegetation is not overgrowing.

The report recommends considering low-cost options such as improved lighting and warning signs.

No.3: Dressler Road NW and Everhard Road NW in Jackson County

A. major improvement project It continues at the intersection of Dressler Road NW and Everhard Road NW in Jackson Township.

The two-year project began in the summer and includes safety improvements at the intersection of multi-lane county roads in the busy Belden Village area.

The intersection is one of the busiest traffic areas in Stark County. An average of 31,250 vehicles are seen per day.

From 2022 to 2024, there were 86 crashes without serious injuries or deaths. The most important of these are following too closely (25%) and not being productive (20%).

The improvement project will add an additional left turn lane on the southbound, eastbound and westbound arms of the intersection to reduce congestion. Other work includes the addition of raised medians and improvements along Dressler Road.

The report predicts that the ongoing project will increase security in the region.

More: ‘This needs to be done.’ Stark County begins major road project in busy Belden Village

No.4: US Route 62, Harmont Avenue NE and Lesh Street NE in Canton

This is a busy intersection of a four-lane US route and a two-lane county road. Lesh Street is included in the report because it intersects closely with the main intersection.

An average of 38,920 vehicles travel here every day.

There were 90 crashes from 2022 to 2024, and none resulted in serious injury or death.

The leading causes of accidents were failure to yield (38%) and running red lights (30%).

Loukas said the area has been the subject of numerous investigations recently. Safety issues here include traffic congestion on U.S. Route 62, closely spaced intersections and poor pedestrian access, he said.

A new local planning study funded by SCATS recommended eliminating the intersections at Lesh Street and Commercial Road and the intersection with Lesh Street north of Route 62. One long-term suggestion is to build an interchange.

“Using the information and recommendations from this study, we are beginning preliminary design for improvements to the intersection and immediate surrounding area,” Loukas said. “We plan to apply for state and federal safety funds to implement improvements.”

No. 5: Everhard Road NW and Whipple Avenue NW in Jackson Township

This busy intersection of two county roads in Jackson Township sees an average of 38,750 vehicle traffic per day.

From 2022 to 2024, there were 72 accidents. The main reasons for this include monitoring too closely (28%) and incorrect operation (24%).

The intersection was improved in 2020. Traffic from the nearby Interstate 77 ramp is now forced to turn right, with offset left turn lanes and dual left turn lanes on the south leg.

According to the report, the improvements have reduced accidents, but the intersection will always be a high-accident location due to traffic congestion.

There are no current plans for future improvements.

No. 6: 12./13. Avenue NW and Interstate 77 near Cleveland Clinic Mercy Hospital in Canton

This complex intersection of city streets and interstate entrance and exit ramps also includes the driveway to Cleveland Clinic Mercy Hospital. The hospital may bring in drivers who are unfamiliar with the area. A multi-lane intersection is controlled by a traffic signal.

From 2022 to 2024, there were 62 accidents. There were no serious injuries or deaths. An average of 22,490 vehicles pass through the intersection per day. The leading causes of accidents were failure to yield (38%) and improper turning (19%).

Dual left turn lanes were added to the west leg of the intersection in 2022. Signals were also improved during that period.

Crashes at the intersection are not serious and have decreased in 2024. According to the report, the increased number of accidents in 2023 may be due to drivers not being familiar with the new intersection layout.

“We made some minor improvements and accidents decreased significantly from 2023 to 2024,” Loukas said. he said. “We have some ideas for further improvements and plan to conduct a security study in the near future.”

No. 7: State Route 172 and Perry Drive NW in Perry Township

This intersection of a state road and a county road in Perry County is controlled by traffic lights with left turn lanes in each direction.

An average of 28,500 vehicles pass through the intersection every day.

From 2022 to 2024, there were 55 accidents, including 2 with serious injuries.

The intersection has had several recent improvements, including the addition of right turn lanes on Route 172 and the widening of Perry Drive.

Chesnic said the latest safety improvements will help reduce accidents.

No. 8: State Route 687 and Blackburn Road NW and Hills and Dales Road NW in Plain Township

This intersection is controlled by traffic lights. An average of 20,400 vehicles are seen per day.

A spike in crashes in 2024 has led to a Plain Township intersection making the Top 10 list. There were 27 accidents, 10 in 2022, 13 in 2023, and more than double in 2024. There was one serious injury accident from 2022 to 2024.

“Distraction and driver impairment appear to contribute to many of these crashes,” Chesnic said.

The most important reason for accidents was not flowing (89%).

No projects are planned for the intersection, but Chesnic said the department is looking at minor changes, such as signal timing, to improve the area.

No. 9: 12th Street NW and Whipple Ave NW in Canton Township

An average of 26,850 vehicles pass through this intersection, where two district roads intersect, every day. The intersection is controlled by traffic lights and has recently been repaved.

There were 19 accidents in 2022, 17 in 2023 and 15 in 2024. An accident resulted in serious injury.

The most important cause of accidents was not flowing (80%).

It is advisable to look at short-term measures such as changing traffic signal timing.

No. 10: Frank Avenue NW and Portage Street NW in Jackson Township

Frank Boulevard and Portage Avenue are two five-lane county roads. From 2022 to 2024, there were 61 crashes, one of which resulted in serious injury.

An average of 32,350 vehicles pass through the intersection per day. The main cause of accidents was following too closely (33%).

In 2022, Portage Street was widened and traffic lights were coordinated. Additional lanes were added westbound.

There are no current plans for future improvements. Crashes have decreased since improvements in 2022.

Reach Grace at 330-580-8364 or gspringer@gannett.com. Follow him on X @GraceSpringer16.

This article was first published on The Repository: What are the most dangerous intersections in Stark County?