2nd Left Turn Lane into Costco is in the Works

One of Strongsville motorists' biggest traffic peeves may be cleared up soon.

Mayor Tom Perciak said Monday that the city is working with the Ohio Department of Transportation on a plan to add a second left-turn lane into the Plaza at SouthPark for eastbound Royalton Road traffic.

"Our engineering department is working with ODOT to create two turn lanes into Costco," Perciak said.

Drivers complain about the bottleneck in that area, saying they must often wait  two or three traffic signal cycles to make the turn — with the line of vehicles overflowing the turn lane and jamming eastbound Route 82 traffic in the meantime.

The city and businesses have already taken two steps to ease the problem: Last year, the existing turn lane was lengthened to hold a few more cars, and the plaza owner built an access road connecting it to the Borders Plaza, giving shoppers another way in and out.

Perciak said he does not yet know when the project might start.

"We have to work through the process," he said. 

The Plaza at SouthPark includes Costco, Best Buy, Rosewood Grill, Petco and Bed Bath and Beyond.