The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) District 6 and the City of Columbus are proposing improvements at the intersection of State Route (SR) 3 (Cleveland Avenue) and Hudson Street in the Linden neighborhood in the City of Columbus, Clinton Township, Franklin County, Ohio.

The proposed project will add turn lanes to both Cleveland Avenue and Hudson Street, to help improve traffic flows at the intersection. Cleveland Avenue will be widened to meet ODOT design standards for minimum lane widths on this type of roadway. The project may require acquisition of right-of-way at all four quadrants of the intersection, and could impact multiple buildings and may require multiple business relocations.

This project also includes new traffic signals, construction of a new storm sewer system, catch basins, overhead signal work, curbs, and gutter sections to better control drainage on the pavement and meet current ODOT and City of Columbus design standards.

FRA-3-19.38 Aerial photo

EXISTING CONDITIONS

Cleveland Avenue and Hudson Street meet at a 67-degree angle. The speed limit on both roads is 35 miles per hour. Left turns are prohibited from Cleveland Avenue with the exception of buses heading north. Right turns on red are prohibited between 8 A.M. and 4 P.M. for motorists traveling south on Cleveland Avenue and east on Hudson Street. On-street parking is prohibited near the intersection. CMAX bus stops are located north and south of the intersection on Cleveland Avenue and traditional bus stops are located on Hudson Street along the west side of Cleveland Avenue. Buildings closely border the sidewalk in several areas. The surrounding area is primarily residential with some commercial buildings, schools, and churches.

Additional, separate projects currently in development that are near the Cleveland/Hudson Intersection Improvement include:

  • Constructing the Linden Recreation Center on Briarwood Avenue.
  • Hudson Street Improvements: The City of Columbus is currently completing design for the reconstruction of Hudson Street between I-71 and Cleveland Avenue. The reconstruction will include installing new curb, sidewalk on the north side, a shared use path on the south side, street trees, new traffic signals, storm sewers, a new 24” water main, and new ADA curb ramps at intersections. Construction on the project is expected to begin in early 2022.

PREVIOUS STUDIES

The City of Columbus is currently conducting an evaluation of the greater Linden area called Slow Streets. Slow Streets is an assessment of parking, street widths, current traffic directions (one-way or two-way), signs, speed, volume, sight distance, and crash data. As part of the overall Slow Streets project, the City is proposing left turn lanes for traffic on Cleveland Avenue to turn on to Hudson Street. Currently, traffic that desires to turn left from Cleveland Avenue on to Hudson Street must do so on an adjacent residential street. The lack of left turn lanes has likely led to crashes at these residential intersections. The City expects that these turn lanes will reduce cut through traffic on the adjacent residential streets. More information of the Slow Streets Project can be found on the City of Columbus website at www.columbus.gov/publicservice/traffic-management/Slow-Streets/. The left turn lanes proposed as part of the Slow Streets evaluation have been incorporated into the Cleveland Avenue and Hudson Street intersection improvement project.

A Safety Study was completed for the Cleveland Avenue and Hudson Street intersection by consultants Lanham Engineering and Burgess & Niple in August 2019. The Safety Study assessed the crash data for the existing intersection and proposed roadway improvements that can be constructed to improve safety at the intersection. For more information on the crash data and the results of the study, go to the Project Purpose tab. A copy of the Safety Study is available for download in the Documents Section in the sidebar of this webpage.

CURRENT STUDIES

A Feasibility Study is currently being prepared for the Cleveland Avenue and Hudson Street intersection improvements project by consultant Kimley Horn. The Feasibility Study is evaluating three (3) possible alternative roadway designs that would improve safety at this intersection, as well as the No-Build Alternative, which would leave the intersection in its existing condition. The 3 alternative designs are based on the recommendations in the 2019 Safety Study. The alternatives are being compared based on the following main factors:

  • Improve safety
  • Reduce congestion
  • Impacts to adjacent properties
  • Total cost (including property acquisition and construction)

Based on this comparison, and the input received from the public on their review of the No Build Alternative and the three (3) design alternatives, the Feasibility Study will result in a Preferred Alternative. The Preferred Alternative will have to balance meeting the needs of the project while minimizing impacts to properties and total project costs. For more information on the alternatives assessment, go to the Alternatives Considered tab.

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Public Comment Period

Provide input on the project's social, economic, and environmental impacts. The deadline for comments to be considered during the design phase is May 29, 2021. Go to the Submit Questions or Comments tab for information of how to provide your feedback.