Two Road Projects Could Cause Delays, Headaches for Strongsville Drivers

Two road construction projects are beginning within the next couple weeks which will improve quality and safety for Strongsville drivers reports Cleveland.com. However, the next five months could be challenging for drivers.

Resurfacing of Pearl Road between Valley Parkway and Westwood Drive north of Ohio Route 82 began on Monday.

The following week, another project is slated to begin; ODOT will be building a second entrance lane to Interstate 71 northbound from 82 eastbound.

Strongsville City Engineer Ken Mikula, says that the I-71/Ohio Route 82 project is designed to reduce the number of accidents by allowing more room for drivers when merging onto the northbound freeway entrance.

"We think it will be a big improvement to safety and relieve some of the congestion at other intersections," Mikula told Cleveland.com.

The southbound lanes of Pearl Road will be resurfaced first, two-way traffic will be maintained in the northbound lanes - once completed, sides will be switched. This project is expected to be completed in July.

The I-71 northbound entrance lane addition is more involved than the resurfacing project. Currently, 82 has three eastbound lanes, ODOT plans to convert the middle lane to a combined through lane/71-northbound entrance lane. The ramp will also be widened to accommodate a heavier traffic load.