Drive-over Medians at State and Schrock

DRIVE-OVER MEDIANS NEW TO ROADWAYS

After more then two years of interruptions and detours, the State Street and Schrock Road intersection is almost complete.

City Manager Dave Collinsworth told city council Tuesday night that installing the final layer of asphalt begins May 30th and will be completed in about two weeks with striping being the final part of the project. Work will take place at night to prevent traffic disruption during the day.

TURNING INTO TIM HORTONS, HUNTINGTON BANK, AND CHIPOTLE, AMONG OTHERS

The new center medians on State Street south of Schrock and medians on Schrock Road are different than what most motorists are accustomed to.

The most obvious section is in front of Tim Hortons on South State. Previously customers entering and exiting Tim Hortons could make left turns across the center lane.

The new design has a median where the center turn lane used to be.

It’s no ordinary median. It’s shorter and may be driven over.

When road construction is complete the asphalt driving surface will be raised to the curved edge of the new, shorter than normal median making it permissible and possible to drive over the center medians. Drive-over or mountable medians on State Street and Schrock Road are the first of this type in the corridor in Westerville, Ohio.

Their purpose is to make it easier for shoppers to turn across traffic into business curb cuts.

The unusual design permits direct access to business curb cuts between intersections without requiring dedicated left turns lanes or center turn lanes.

City Manager Dave Collinsworth says most people will first be surprised that they can drive over center medians but they should be used “sparingly and with good judgement.”

Driving over the median does not insulate a driver from obeying traffic laws. Mountable medians make left turn over them permissible and possible although they may take a while to get used to.

U-TURNS

Westerville traffic law permits U-Turns on roadways except where posted. There will be several sections of State Street where U-Turns will not be permitted.

New signs mark the sections near Tim Hortons and BP that prohibit U-Turns. Expect to see the same sign along the normal height barrier medians north of Schrock Road.

WAITING ON SHOPPING CENTER OWNERS

Radically different is the intersection for Westerville Square Shopping Center and Westerville Shopping Center.

The intersection has been moved further north to a spot between Starbucks and Panera where the two property owners have yet to agree on the design of the new access roadway. The city attempted to include the new access road in the project but was denied by the property owners. Until the owners agree and finish their part of the project, access and egress from Westerville Shopping Center with Roush Hardware and Panera will be restricted.

New full height barrier medians north of State Street were built anticipating the shopping center driveway access road to be complete. When completed, the road will allow drivers in the shopping center and Starbucks the ability to turn either direction from the center, without the temporary restrictions.