ASHLAND – Reduced Collision U-Turns, also referred to as RCUTs, continue to improve safety on Ohio’s roadways and the intersection of U.S. 30 and Ohio 89 in Ashland County is another safety success.
In a three-and-a-half year period from January 2018 to June 2021, there were 17 total crashes at this intersection. Nine of those crashes resulted in injury, and the majority were angle or left-turn crashes.
The number and type of crashes lead ODOT engineers to design and construct an RCUT to improve safety.
In an RCUT configuration, side-street traffic is prohibited from traveling straight through and turning left onto the mainline and mainline traffic is prohibited from making a left turn onto the side-street, allowing for a more efficient movement of traffic.
They also reduce the total number of intersection conflict points from 32 to 16, limiting collision opportunities and, most typically, the severity of such collisions.
Construction was completed in December 2021, and crashes have continued to decrease year after year.
In two-and-a-half years ago, there have been a total of 6 crashes. Four of the six crashes were caused by side-street motorists not yielding to mainline traffic while making a right turn.
RCUTs are a cost-effective safety measures that continue to be a proven method for reducing the number of left turn and angle crashes, while also simplifying driver decisions.
In comparison to signalized intersections and interchanges, construction and maintenance of RCUTs are less costly, easier to maintain and provide a more efficient movement of traffic on the mainline route.