Trucks turning south onto Co. Rd. 22 from St. Rt. 2 are encroaching on the St. Peter Catholic Church Cemetery, coming within 10 to 20 feet of some graves.
That’s what Kevin Eicher, told fellow members at the Monday, Jan. 18 Archbold village council meeting.
He suggested a wroughtiron fence to keep trucks out, saying, “That’s sacred ground.”
But Kevin Morton, council president, said after past experiences with trucks striking or getting stuck on different styles of bollards in downtown, a fence won’t keep trucks out.
Perhaps not, Eicher said, but it will let drivers know when they’ve cut the corner too close.
The Problem
Eicher said the problem traces back to the Global Positioning System receivers used by truckers, which don’t recognize Co. Rd. 22 when drivers are traveling on US20A until it’s too late to make a turn.
Truckers then drive south on St. Rt. 66 and turn left to go east on St. Rt. 2. At Co. Rd. 22, they have to turn right to go south on Co. Rd. 22 to access factories on the east side of Archbold.
When truckers turn onto Co. Rd. 22, they drag their trailer wheels over the corner of the intersection, driving over cemetery property on the southwest corner of the intersection.
Eicher said there is littleto no berm on the west side of Co. Rd. 22.
In the past, the intersection was a “square” corner, he said. Now, he said, that corner is being rounded off as trucks turn too short.
He said when the corner was originally laid out by engineers, trucks were much smaller. As trailers have gotten longer, it’s more difficult for drivers to negotiate the turn.
Eicher offered one option: removing a sign along St. Rt. 66 directing trucks east on St. Rt. 2 to go to Co. Rd. 22. He suggested routing trucks down East Lutz Road, even though that would send them past Fairlawn Haven Retirement Community.
But Morton objected to that option.
Eicher said dirt has been spread at the intersection to fill in ruts caused by trucks, but that doesn’t solve the problem.
Technically, Eicher said, the intersection is not a village problem, because Co. Rd. 22 is a county road and St. Rt. 2 is the responsibility of the Ohio Department of Transportation.
But if the area is annexed in the future, it will become a village problem, he said.
Roundabout
Donna Dettling, village administrator, suggested the intersection could be a great place for a roundabout.
Morton said ODOT funding is available to address safety issues, but he wasn’t sure the St. Rt. 2-Co. Rd. 22 intersection would qualify as a “safety issue.”
Eicher said he’d spoken with both Kenneth “Skip” Leupp, township trustee, and Joe Short, Fulton County commissioner, about the issue. Leupp has already made calls to contacts at ODOT, he said.
Brad Grime, mayor, said there is an issue with northbound traffic on Co. Rd. 22 at the St. Rt. 2 intersection. It’s difficult for drivers to see to the west, he said.
All council members were present, and votes were unanimous.
The next meeting is Monday, Feb. 1, at the Ruihley Park Pavilion.–David Pugh