A confusing detour around a bridge on Route 3 south of the Interstate 76 entrance ramps near Seville, OH, is causing truckers traveling through the area to get stuck in a residential neighborhood.
On July 8, the Ohio Dept. of Transportation closed the bridge for 60 days for repairs. And despite signs warning of the detour, truckers are getting confused nightly and stuck in the residential area, according to area residents, and using lawns and driveways in the neighborhood to turn around.
One resident, Tory Lyon, told the Medina-Gazette that one trucker was so confused that he simply moved the barricades and drove over the dilapidated bridge anyway. The bridge approach is now closed.
“It’s just a hot mess down here. There’s no organization,” she said.
Village Street Commissioner John Soczak said Medina County placed a lighted message board at U.S. Route 224 and there’s another sign at state Route 604 in Wayne County.
ODOT has placed detour signs on Route 224 and state Route 57 to guide drivers around the bridge and back to Route 3.
Police Chief Don Burson said the problem traffic isn’t coming south from I-76, because that approach offers escape routes via business parking lots. It’s the northbound approach creating the havoc.
“The biggest problem has been traffic northbound from Wayne County, because the only state route available for a detour is 604, and that’s 4½ miles south,” Burson said.
“As they’re approaching, they see the closure sign but don’t have time to make the course correction before they miss their turn. I think the problem is that the signs aren’t specific enough as to where the road closure is.”
Burson said the bridge closes ¾-mile south of the I-76 entrance ramps and drivers don’t see where the closure is until they reach it. By then, it’s too late.
