Thank you for participating!

The first stakeholder meeting was held on August 13, 2020. A video of the meeting can be accessed below under the 'documents' tab (on the right in the sidebar if on a computer and at the bottom of this page if on a mobile device). The virtual public open house began August 13, 2020 and ended on September 18, 2020. 

What we Heard

The City of Columbus, in coordination with the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT), conducted a virtual stakeholder meeting and a virtual public open house in August/September 2020 to present two alternatives to improve the intersection of State Route 161 and Karl Road and North Service Road Intersection. The two alternatives presented were: Alternative 1 - installation of a roundabout aligned with the southern driveway of the shopping plaza on the east side of Karl Road and Alternative 2 - installation of a roundabout aligned with the northern driveway of the shopping plaza on the east side of Karl Road.

Many comments received during the virtual stakeholder and public open house were related to property impacts, community education on how to use a roundabout, and aesthetics/design elements. The project team has reviewed the comments from the public and project stakeholders. Questions, comments, & concerns, and the project team's responses have been compiled into a table and are available to view and download in the sidebar of this webpage (document is named "Comments and Responses").

How we're Addressing Concerns

Alternative 2 was the project team's recommended preferred alternative at the time of public involvement. Considering the public and stakeholder feedback, the City and ODOT have developed a new alternative to minimize impacts to residences north of the roundabout. The new preferred alternative takes Alternative 2 and shifts the roundabout 30’ south. Shifting the roundabout south removes all direct impacts to nearby residential properties and drives. The new design also impacts fewer parking spaces at the nearby strip mall than the old Alternative 2.

Therefore, the preferred alternative for FRA-161-12.04 (PID 110436) is now Alternative 2A – Alternative 2 shifted 30’ south. The tab below titled "New Alternative 2A" (and handout located in the sidebar of this webpage) shows the updated design (Alternative 2A) compared to the old design (Alternative 2). Safety improvements include the construction of a mini-roundabout to allow u-turns, a concrete median, upgrading the signal at State Route 161 and Karl road, and drainage upgrades.

Concerns were also raised regarding low English proficiency (LEP) education on how to navigate a roundabout and panhandling at the intersection. To address these concerns, informational guides in various languages will be produced to explain what to expect and how to navigate the proposed mini-roundabouts at the project location. Flyers explaining how to navigate the new roundabout will be dropped in the project area and sent with the comment response letters to public and stakeholder meeting participants (See "Informational Flyer" in the sidebar). The design team modified the location where the raised median begins due to geometric constraints which eliminated the area for panhandlers to occupy at the intersection of SR 161

Project Update

Construction is expected to begin in April 2023 and last approximately 6 months. A full closure of the construction area is expected, and local detour routes will be provided. The detour will take drivers headed northbound on Karl road to SR 161, to Sharon Wood Boulevard, to Alpine Road, and back to Karl Road. Drivers headed south on Karl road will be rerouted to Alpine Road, to Sharon Wood Boulevard, to SR 161, and back to Karl Road. COTA bus stop locations will be closed and/or temporarily relocated. Pedestrian access will be maintained where existing sidewalks are present with detours provided to route traffic around the construction zone. If right-of-way acquisition is necessary from your property, personnel with the ODOT District 6 Real Estate Office will contact you directly at a later date to discuss the right-of-way needs, the acquisition process, and your rights under that process.

To view the original project webpage and see information about both the State Route 161 and Karl Road and State Route 161 and Maple Canyon projects, follow this link: https://publicinput.com/H718

Una versión en español del sitio web está disponible aquí; https://publicinput.com/161KarlESP 

What is the project? 

The project came from an initial safety study conducted in 2017 to identify possible safety improvements to State Route 161 between Interstate 71 and Cleveland Avenue and adjoining service roads. The project will introduce a mini-roundabout and concrete median to mitigate crashes at State Route 161 and Karl Road and the North Service Road Intersection. Proposed improvements include a mini-roundabout to allow u-turns, a concrete median, upgrading the signal at State Route 161 and Karl road, and drainage upgrades. ​

​Why is the project needed? 

The intersection suffers from elevated crash rates due to excessive driving pattern conflicts and the short distance between the service road intersection and State Route 161. The intersection has consistently appeared in the City of Columbus yearly “Top 20 High-Crash Locations” list (based on crash rate). The purpose of the project is to improve safety, access management, and traffic operations. In addition to constructing the mini-roundabout at the service road intersection, a concrete median will be added between State Route 161 and the roundabout to reduce conflict points and congestion by eliminating left turn and through movements.​

Please review the project information below. Click the green Continue button or on the blue tab names to advance through the information. 

Thank you!