PURPOSE AND NEED FOR THE VROOMAN ROAD BRIDGE and ROADWAY IMPROVEMENT PROJECT

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3 PURPOSE AND NEED FOR THE VROOMAN ROAD BRIDGE and ROADWAY IMPROVEMENT PROJECT PERRY AND LEROY TOWNSHIPS, LAKE COUNTY, OHIO (PID 5669/PID 85131) PREPARED BY: MICHAEL BAKER JR., INC EUCLID AVENUE SUITE 1050 CLEVELAND, OHIO (216) FOR: LAKE COUNTY ENGINEER 550 Blackbrook Road Painesville, Ohio Phone: (440) June 27, 2011

4 PURPOSE AND NEED VROOMAN ROAD BRIDGE and ROADWAY IMPROVEMENT PROJECT PERRY AND LEROY TOWNSHIPS, LAKE COUNTY, OHIO PID 5669/PID Prepared by: Michael Baker Jr., Inc. The Halle Building 1228 Euclid Avenue, Suite 1050 Cleveland, Ohio (216) Fax (216) June 27, 2011

5 PURPOSE AND NEED STATEMENT The purpose of this project is to provide a safe and adequate transportation facility that addresses the deficient condition and design of the existing Vrooman Road Bridge (SFN ); eliminates flooding of the existing bridge and approach roadway; addresses deficient design elements of existing Vrooman Road and its intersections; improves the safety of the Study Area; and maintains connectivity. The project has four identified needs outlined below: Deficient Bridge Extensive deterioration, narrow bridge roadway and shoulders, and other design deficiencies have been identified in the existing Vrooman Road Bridge These deficiencies lead to documented problems including increased maintenance costs and increased risk of crashes. The Vrooman Road Bridge is lower than the 100-year flood elevation and is subject to periodic flooding and the associated maintenance. The Vrooman Road Bridge approaches are lower than the 25-year flood elevation and are subject to frequent recurring flooding and the associated maintenance. Current Ohio Department of Transportation s (ODOT) Location and Design (L&D) Manual, Volume 2, Section 1004 criteria require that the highway grade shall normally be set such that the low edge of the pavement will clear the design water surface profile for existing conditions by 3 feet, and bridges (low chord) will generally clear the water surface profile of the design year frequency flood. That is, the lowest component of the replacement bridge must be above the design year flood level, in this case, the 25 year flood level; and that the approach roadway should not flood during this event. Deficient Roadway Vrooman Road including its intersections and bridge approaches is deficient and has inadequate geometrics, steep grades, substandard curves and poor sight distance as compared to current applicable roadway standards. Applicable design criteria/standards are defined in ODOT s L&D Manual Volume 1, and supplemented by the Lake County Standards. Roadway deficiencies also include the existing retaining wall along the south side of Vrooman road in the vicinity of the Vrooman Road / SR-84 intersection which continues to deteriorate with increased maintenance costs. Safety Safety issues are associated with the crash patterns along Vrooman Road within the project area, including roadway and intersections. Crashes along Vrooman Road and SR-84 within the Study Area are located at four major points, three of them are intersections and one is the Vrooman Road Bridge over the Grand River. The historic crash rates for three of the intersections within the Study Area are higher than the state wide average for similar intersections, indicating a traffic safety problem. The crash rate for Vrooman Road within the Study Area is also higher than for other similar roadways in the state. Connectivity Vrooman Road provides connectivity between I-90 and eastern Painesville. The closest interchanges are 7.5 miles to the east (I-90/SR 528) and 4.5 miles to the west (I-90/SR 44). Detour routes are approximately miles and approximately miles, respectively. Vrooman Road Bridge and Roadway Improvement Project (PID 5669 and PID 85131) 1

6 PROJECT HISTORY Improvements to Vrooman Road have been proposed and studied in various forms since construction of the existing bridge in These studies were conducted to evaluate feasible solutions to address the same, or many of the same, issues faced today; and to utilize the I-90 / Vrooman Road interchange for its originally intended purpose of providing connectivity between Southeast Painesville, Ohio and Interstate 90 (I-90). A summary table of each of these reports is found below. None of the improvements recommended by these reports were completed. Lack of funding postponed the project in 1963 and Because of frequent flooding of Vrooman Road by the Grand River; continued deterioration of the bridge and approach roadway; and increasing numbers of crashes at various intersections and the bridge s approaches, the project was revived in the mid 1980 s by the Lake County Engineer s Office (LCEO). The project advanced with the completion of the 1984 Vrooman Road North Improvement Report (CT Consultants). Following this planning level study, engineering and environmental studies were initiated in the early 1990 s. However, the project was halted in the mid-1990 s pending additional archaeological investigations when Native American burial sites were identified within the project limits. The Vrooman Road Bridge was identified as a structurally deficient and functionally obsolete in bridge inspection reports prepared in 2002 and Concerns over the bridge s safety, crash frequency and recurring flooding resulted in the initiation of another planning study in 2003 to identify transportation system deficiencies along Vrooman Road (County Road 227) between State Route 84 (SR-84) and I-90 and to develop the conceptual solutions to address the identified deficiencies. The 2005 Vrooman Road Planning Study (Transystems 2005, Baker revised 2008) followed ODOT s Planning Study Process (PSP) and Project Development Process (PDP) guidance. Consistent with that process the objectives of the study were to identify deficiencies in the roadway corridor, explore replacement alternatives for the structurally deficient Vrooman Road Bridge, and recommend a Conceptual Solution for further development. The findings of these reports are summarized in Table 1. Vrooman Road Bridge and Roadway Improvement Project (PID 5669 and PID 85131) 2

7 TABLE 1: SUMMARY OF PREVIOUS VROOMAN ROAD ENGINEERING STUDIES Report Date Issues Recommendations Capitol Engineering Report for the LCEO Ohio Department of Highways, Preliminary Engineering Report CT Consultants, Vrooman Road North Improvement Report Transystems Inc., Vrooman Road Planning Study May 10, 1963 revised October 15, 1963 March 1968 July Revised 2008 by Baker Substandard horizontal & vertical alignments Steep grades on the river valley hillsides Flooding of approaches Slope stability Acute angle of SR 84 Vrooman Rd. intersection with poor sight distances Substandard horizontal & vertical alignments Steep grades on the river valley hillsides Flooding of approaches Slope stability Acute angle of SR 84 Vrooman Rd. intersection with poor sight distances Substandard bridge width Substandard horizontal & vertical alignments Steep grades on the river valley hillsides Flooding of approaches Slope stability Acute angle of SR 84 Vrooman Rd. intersection with poor sight distances Structurally deficient and functionally obsolete bridge Substandard horizontal & vertical alignments Steep grades on the river valley hillsides Flooding of approaches Slope stability Acute angle of SR 84 Vrooman Rd. intersection with poor sight distances Structurally deficient and functionally obsolete bridge Alternative B A 2-lane limited access roadway to SR 84; realignment of Vrooman Rd. to east, low-level bridge crossing, and interchange at SR 84 located between Madison Ave. and Lane Rd. Proposed Preferred Route A 4-lane limited access from SR 86 to SR 2; realignment of Vrooman Rd. to the east utilizing existing I-90 interchange, low-level bridge crossing, and interchange at SR 84 located between Madison Ave. and Lane Rd. Proposed Preferred Alternative A 2-lane high level bridge crossing with an northern connection at Lane Road Connection and southern connection at Vrooman Road near the top of the southern escarpment; a 2-lane roadway with minimal realignment and widening of Vrooman Rd. between I-90 and southern escarpment to address geometric and design deficiencies. Identified the Conceptual Solution as Alternative B- Lane Road. A 2-lane high level bridge crossing with an northern connection at Lane Road and southern connection at Vrooman Road near the top of the southern escarpment; a 2- lane roadway with minimal realignment and widening of Vrooman Rd. between I-90 and southern escarpment to address geometric and design deficiencies. Vrooman Road Bridge and Roadway Improvement Project (PID 5669 and PID 85131) 3

8 Study Area Vrooman Road (County Road 227) traverses portions of Leroy and Perry Townships, Lake County, Ohio. Vrooman Road is approximately 3.05 miles long extending from its southern terminus at a five-point intersection of State Route 86 (SR-86), County Road 208 (Leroy Center Road) and County Road 210 (Huntoon Road) in Leroy Township; to its northern terminus, State Route 84 (SR-84, aka South Ridge Road and Riverside Drive), in Perry Township. Vrooman Road provides access to and from Perry and Leroy Townships, and southeastern Painesville to Interstate Route 90 (I-90). The Vrooman Road Bridge and Roadway Improvement Project s Study Area is roughly centered along Vrooman Road and is approximately 1.46 miles long, beginning at the I-90 interchange to the south, and ending at SR-84 to the north. The Project Study Area consists of the approximately 0.83 mile long roadway portion (PID 85131, Southern Reach ) extending from the I-90 interchange to the southern escarpment of the Grand River Valley; and the approximately 0.63 mile long bridge portion (PID 5669, Valley Crossing ) extending from the southern escarpment of the Grand River Valley to the intersection with SR-84 at the northern escarpment of the Grand River Valley (Figures 1 through 5). The Grand River, a State designated Wild and Scenic River, is the most prominent physical feature transecting the Study Area. The Grand River flows through a deep, steep-sided valley, and is crossed by Vrooman Road north of Interstate 90, between the Lake Metroparks Indian Point and Mason s Landing Parks located just south of SR-84. The Study Area s limits were established to evaluate and address identified issues within logical geographic boundaries. These boundaries allow the development of a feasible transportation solution that will have independent utility. Specifically, the boundaries were established because: The southern limit, I-90, was chosen because high numbers of crashes and other safety issues were not noted south of I-90 and because the I-90 interchange was originally constructed to provide connectivity between southeast Painesville, Ohio and I-90; The northern limit, SR-84, was chosen because SR-84 is Vrooman Road s current and historic northern terminus. The narrow lateral limits between I-90 and the southern escarpment of the Grand River Valley (the Southern Reach ) were chosen because of the residential property to the west, and county park property to the east; with the intent to minimize possible Right of Way impacts within this area. An additional corridor of land between Riverview Road and SR-84 is included in the Study Area to allow for the possibility of a new connecting roadway between Riverview Road and SR-84. Vrooman Road Bridge and Roadway Improvement Project (PID 5669 and PID 85131) 4

9 The triangular shaped lateral limits between the southern escarpment of the Grand River Valley and SR-84 (the Valley Crossing ) were chosen to include immediately adjacent existing intersections on SR-84. These intersections included Madison Avenue to the west and Lane Road to the east. No other intersections to the east or west are immediately adjacent to the existing Vrooman Road / SR-84 intersection. Existing Traffic Vrooman Road is classified by ODOT as an urban collector and has a current Average Daily Traffic (ADT) volume of approximately 5500 vehicles per day. Traffic counts were performed by the Lake County Engineer s Office in 2010 at the intersection of Vrooman Road, SR-84 and Madison Avenue. Traffic on Vrooman Road was determined from these traffic counts and is listed below: Current Vrooman Road Traffic (2010) Average Daily Traffic, ADT Average Daily Truck Traffic = 5529 vehicles per day = 166 trucks per day Anticipated future traffic volume on roadway facilities is used to establish design criteria for any proposed improvement project. This volume is normally developed for the anticipated opening and design year for the proposed improvements. ODOT s Office of Technical Service (OTS) provides this information, known as certified traffic data, for federally funded projects. This data projects anticipated traffic volumes based on the studied improvements and site demographics. Certified traffic for the Vrooman Road Bridge and Roadway Improvement Project will be developed once the proposed improvements are identified. Vrooman Road Bridge and Roadway Improvement Project (PID 5669 and PID 85131) 5

10 TRANSPORTATION NEEDS This project has four identified needs: Deficient condition and design of existing bridge including flooding of existing bridge and approach roadway Deficient design of existing roadway (Vrooman Road) and intersections and retaining wall Safety Connectivity Deficient condition and design of existing bridge The Vrooman Road Bridge is a two-span steel Warren Polygonal pony truss structure built in The bridge has an overall structure length of approximately with each span approximately 88-4 center-to-center of bearings. The trusses are spaced /- centerto-center. The existing superstructure bears on stone abutments dating from the previous bridge crossing built in The bridge s existing two-lane roadway is /- wide with no shoulders. A galvanized steel guardrail has been attached to the interior of the truss verticals, effectively reducing the roadway opening (Photograph 18). This is substantially less than the currently required roadway opening of 32-0 (two 12-0 lanes and two 4-0 shoulders) as stipulated in ODOT L&D Manual Volume 1, Section 300, and as supplemented by Lake County Design Standards. In 1980 the structure underwent a major rehabilitation with the removal and replacement of the original timber deck and steel stringers with a new timber deck and asphalt wearing surface. The condition of bridge structures are evaluated in accordance with state and federal guidelines. Based on inspections, structures are assigned a general appraisal rating on a scale from 1 to 9 where 9 indicates a new condition, 4 indicates deficient/poor condition and 1 indicates near failure. The wearing surfaces and floors of bridges are inspected and given a rating on a scale from 1 to 4 where 1 indicates a new condition, 3 indicates deficient/poor condition and 4 indicates critical condition. The paint is also inspected and given a rating on a scale from 0 to 9 where a 9 indicates a new condition, a 4 indicates deficient/poor condition and 0 indicates failure conditions. Bridges are also given a sufficiency rating. The sufficiency rating is a general representation of the overall condition of the bridge. This rating ranges from 0 to 100 where a rating of 100 is considered excellent and 0 is considered poor. The Vrooman Road Bridge has been identified as a structurally deficient and functionally obsolete bridge in bridge inspection reports prepared in 2002 and The ODOT BR86 Bridge Inspection Form in the 2002 Physical Condition Report Vrooman Road Bridge Over the Grand River, SFN , Leroy Township, Lake County Ohio (HNTB Ohio, Inc.) rated the Vrooman Road Bridge with a General Appraisal of 4 (Appendix A). The ODOT BR86 Bridge Inspection Form in the August 2006, Bridge Inspection Report Vrooman Road Bridge Over Grand River, Perry and Leroy Townships, SFN (Richland Engineering Limited) rated the Vrooman Road Bridge with a General Appraisal of 3. (Appendix A) Vrooman Road Bridge and Roadway Improvement Project (PID 5669 and PID 85131) 6

11 Flooding of current bridge and roadway The Vrooman Road Bridge (roadway elevation and approach elevations 631.0/632.0) is below the 25-year flood elevation of and the 100-year flood elevation of Because of its elevation, the bridge and approach roadway is subject to recurring flooding and associated maintenance (i.e. enacting emergency closures, inspections, repair of degrading bridge members, and post-flood removal of debris and mud from Vrooman Road, the approaches, and the bridge structure). Refer to Figures 7A and 7B. Zone A areas in these figures have a 1% annual chance of flooding and a 26% chance of flooding over a 30-year period. Zone C areas in these figures are above the 500-year flood level and have minimal chances of experiencing flood hazard other than ponding and local drainage problems The Vrooman Road Bridge and approach roadway have been closed 2 to 3 times annually on average over the last 5 years in the spring and/or fall; with the typical closure lasting 1 to 2 days. The Vrooman Road Bridge was closed for 5 months from July, 2006 to December, 2006 due to severe damage to the approach roadway and possible scour damage to the substructure resulting from an extreme flood event. When the Vrooman Road Bridge is closed, the nearest alternative crossings of the Grand River (local road detours) are Blair Road, located approximately 2 miles to the east; and SR-84 located approximately 4 miles to the west. The estimated detour length is approximately 8.5 to 13.0 miles depending on route and roadway restrictions on allowable vehicles. For interstate/state highway traffic, the closest interchanges are 7.5 miles to the east (I-90/SR 528) and 4.5 miles to the west (I-90/SR 44). Detour routes are approximately miles and approximately miles, respectively. Current ODOT s L&D Manual Volume 2, Section 1004, criteria require that the lowest component of the replacement bridge must be above the design year flood level, in this case, the 25 year flood level; and that the approach roadway should not flood during this event. Therefore, any new bridge s lowest point of structure elevation and any new approaches would need to be at or above an elevation of Deficient design of existing roadway (Vrooman Road) and intersections and retaining wall The U.S. DOT s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) classifies our Nation s urban and rural roadways by road function. Each functional classification is based on the type of service the road provides to the motoring public, and the designation is used for data and planning purposes. Design standards (requirements) are tied to these functional classifications. Each classification has a range of allowable lane widths, shoulder widths, curve sharpness (radii), steepness of roadway (grade), etc. Vrooman Road, Madison Avenue north of SR 84 and SR 84 within the Study Area are classified as Urban Collectors. Urban Collectors: a. Serve both land access and traffic circulation in residential, and commercial/industrial areas; b. Penetrate residential neighborhoods; and c. Distribute and channel trips between local streets and arterials. Vrooman Road Bridge and Roadway Improvement Project (PID 5669 and PID 85131) 7

12 Lane Road north of SR 84 is classified as an Urban Principal Arterial. Urban Principal Arterials: a. Serve major activity centers, highest volume corridors, and longest trip demands; b. Carry high proportion of total urban travel on minimum of mileage; c. Interconnect and provide continuity for major rural corridors to accommodate trips entering and leaving urban area and movements through the urban area; and d. Serve demand for intra-area travel as between the central business district and outlying residential areas. The existing posted speed limit on Vrooman Road is 40 mph from I-90 north to the southern escarpment of the Grand River Valley and 25 mph from that point north to SR 84. Therefore, the project must provide a bridge and approach roadways that meet the design requirements for an Urban Collector and/or Principal Arterial roadway; and for the appropriate design speed. ODOT s Location and Design Manual Volume I and LCEO standards document applicable design criteria for Vrooman Road. Vrooman Road does not meet the current design standards for any of these functional classifications. A comparison of the current condition (e.g., steepness, or grade of the roadway; sharpness of curves; width of pavement and shoulders: etc.) with current design standards is presented in Table 2 below. Presently, Vrooman Road has a 12% grade on the south side of the Grand River Valley and a 15% grade on the north side. These steep grades make it difficult for motorists with standard transmission vehicles to operate the vehicle safely and properly on the hills, especially at the intersection with SR-84. All vehicle types are affected in poor weather conditions. Vehicles have slid backwards when forced to stop while climbing the grade north of the river in snowy or icy conditions. The steep grade also lends itself to problems concerning sight distance to the bridge. A driver approaching the Vrooman Road Bridge is unable to see it until they are almost upon it, making a dangerous approach for motorists traveling southbound from SR-84. This becomes a problem if the bridge or roadway is too icy, if there is an accident, or any other obstruction on the bridge or roadway. Further, during the summer months when the Indian Point s and Mason s Landing Parks have the most visitors, issues with poor sight distance pose a danger for pedestrians and bicyclists utilizing the road. The sight distance from Vrooman Road at the intersection of Vrooman Road and SR-84 is extremely limited due to the angular approach of Vrooman Road up the Grand River Valley. The extreme grade on the approach makes mathematical calculations of site distance difficult to perform, but estimates of the existing sight distance were developed based upon field observations. If traffic were to stop at the stop bar, sight distance to the right would be an estimated 50', as the driver must look up and over their right shoulder through guiderail to see oncoming traffic. This is further limited if vegetation has grown up near the guiderail. Pulling up beyond the stop bar to be at SR-84 is dangerous because the vehicle would then be in traffic, but the driver would only be able to see approximately 150'. To the left, the driver can see only about 130' along eastbound SR-84, but that would be limited by vegetative growth as well. Vrooman Road Bridge and Roadway Improvement Project (PID 5669 and PID 85131) 8

13 TABLE 2: GEOMETRIC DESIGN DEFICIENCIES Design Criteria Existing Minimum Acceptable ODOT L&D Vol. 1 Ref. # Urban Collector Urban Principal Arterial (Lane Rd.) Urban Collector (Vrooman Rd., Madison Ave. and SR 84) Is it Acceptable? Yes or No Bridge Lane Width No Minimum Bridge Shoulder Width No Roadway Lane Width & No Shoulder 301-2, - Width 3, No Minimum Curve Radius 202-2E No Maximum Grade 203-2E 12% and 15% 7% 10% No Intersection Sight Distance 201-5E No to Left* Intersection Sight Distance to Right* 201-5E No * At the existing Vrooman Road / SR-84 intersection The north approach to the Vrooman Road Bridge is supported by a retaining wall on the south side of the road running up the hill to the SR-84 intersection. This wall was constructed in or around 1972, and is approximately 250 long and 25 high. The wall exhibits some signs of movement. LCEO has repaired the retaining wall twice since 2005 at a total cost of approximately $10,000. Repairs have included installing additional bracing. The wall is a critical structure supporting Vrooman Road out of the river valley. Failure of this retaining wall could possibly result in the closure of both SR-84 and Vrooman Road. Existing conditions are shown in Photographs 1 through 3. Vrooman Road Bridge and Roadway Improvement Project (PID 5669 and PID 85131) 9

14 In addition to the bridge and roadway deficiencies cited in Table 2 above, seven of the nine existing Vrooman Road curves within the Study Area are below the minimum acceptable radius (i.e., they are too sharp ). Figure 6 shows the locations of the curves. Details regarding the existing Vrooman Road curves are presented in Table 3. TABLE 3: EXISTING HORIZONTAL CURVES Curve Number D c Existing Minimum Acceptable Check Radius (Feet) D c Radius (Feet) Yes/No EHC / / Yes* EHC /- 1,432 +/ Yes EHC / / No EHC / / No EHC / / No EHC /- 70 +/ No EHC / / No EHC / / No EHC / / No * Curve requires super elevation (i.e., banked curves). Finally, the LCEO estimates that the section of Vrooman Road within the Study Area requires approximately $75,000 more in annual maintenance costs than similar lengths of non-deficient roadway. Additional costs can be attributed to: increased salting and plowing because of steep grades; special pavement and drainage treatments because of steep grades; repair costs resulting from flooding; guide rail maintenance costs resulting from the high number of crashes; and costs associated with closing, cleaning and reopening the road during the frequent flood events. Vrooman Road Bridge and Roadway Improvement Project (PID 5669 and PID 85131) 10

15 Safety Five years of crash data ( ) for the Study Area was obtained from the Ohio Department of Public Safety. The data was then analyzed to identify any accident patterns during this period. There were a total of 76 recorded accidents in the study area during this period. TABLE 4: VROOMAN ROAD CRASH DATA ( ) Year Number of Crashes Accidents within the Study Area are concentrated at five locations. Three of the locations are at existing intersections; one is the I-90 / Vrooman Road interchange and one is at the Vrooman Road Bridge over the Grand River. These locations account for 61 of the 76 accidents in the study area. The remaining 15 accidents occurred at various locations along Vrooman Road from I-90 to SR-84. The accidents were located as follows: Vrooman, Madison, and State Route 84 intersection Lane, River, and State Route 84 intersection Vrooman and Seeley intersection Vrooman / I-90 Interchange Vrooman Road Bridge Vrooman Road I-90 to SR total accidents 13 total accidents 11 total accidents 18 total accidents 4 total accidents 15 total accidents Table 5 shows that historic accident rates for intersections in the Study Area are higher than the state wide average, indicating a traffic safety problem. This table also indicates a higher than average accident rate along Vrooman Road Bridge in the Study Area. Vrooman Road Bridge and Roadway Improvement Project (PID 5669 and PID 85131) 11

16 Location TABLE 5: VROOMAN ROAD CRASH RATES ( ) Number of Crashes Vrooman Road Vrooman Road Crash Rate Statewide Average Above or Below Average? Yes or No Vrooman, Madison, and SR Above intersection 1 Lane, River, and SR Above intersection 1 Vrooman and Seeley intersection Above Vrooman and I-90 interchange 18 NA 3 NA NA Vrooman Road I-90 to Above SR Crash Rate is measured in number of crashes per million vehicles entering an intersection. Tabulated rates were taken from statewide statistics for Current statistics are unavailable. 2 - Crash Rate is measured in number of crashes per million miles traveled. Tabulated rates were taken from statewide statistics for This is the most recent information available. 3 - Crash data did not differentiate between accidents on I-90 and Vrooman Road. 4 - Includes 4 crashes at Vrooman Road Bridge Vrooman Road Bridge and Roadway Improvement Project (PID 5669 and PID 85131) 12

17 Connectivity Vrooman Road provides connectivity between I-90 and the eastern portion of Painesville. The I-90/SR 528 interchange is the next interchange to the east and is approximately 7.5 miles away. The interchange is farther away from Painesville and is used as a detour route (approximately miles) when the Vrooman Road Bridge is closed. The I-90/SR 44 interchange is the next interchange to the west and is approximately 4.5 miles away. This interchange is southwest of Painesville and is used as a detour route (approximately miles) when the Vrooman Road Bridge is closed. Vrooman Road Bridge and Roadway Improvement Project (PID 5669 and PID 85131) 13

18 CONCLUSION Vrooman Road is an important local thoroughfare. Functional deficiencies exist with Vrooman Road within the study area. Structural and functional deficiencies exist with the Vrooman Road Bridge over the Grand River. These deficiencies indicate that an improvement to the structure and roadway are warranted to meet the current and future needs. These include: Deficient condition and design of existing bridge and retaining wall Flooding of existing bridge and approach roadway Deficient design of existing roadway (Vrooman Road) and intersections Safety LOGICAL TERMINI AND INDEPENDENT UTILITY Logical Termini Selection The logical termini for the project were determined based on the existing structurally-deficient and functionally-obsolete Vrooman Road Bridge (SFN ) over the Grand River, and the existing roadway geometric deficiencies along Vrooman Road between Interstate 90 and State Route 84. The termini for the project were established at the Interstate 90 westbound on/off ramps because high numbers of crashes and other safety issues were not noted on Vrooman Road south of I-90 and because the I-90 interchange was originally constructed to provide connectivity between Southeast Painesville, Ohio and I-90. State Route 84 was chosen because it is Vrooman Road s current and historic northern terminus. These termini allow for possible transportation facility improvements to the existing bridge and Vrooman Road. The narrow lateral limits between I-90 and the southern escarpment of the Grand River Valley were chosen because of the residential property to the west, and county park property to the east; with the intent to minimize possible Right of Way impacts within this area. The triangular shaped lateral limits between the southern escarpment of the Grand River Valley and SR-84 were chosen to include immediately adjacent existing intersections on SR-84. These intersections included Madison Avenue to the west and Lane Road to the east. No other intersections to the east or west are immediately adjacent to the existing Vrooman Road / SR- 84 intersection. An additional corridor of land between Riverview Road and SR-84 is included in the Study Area to allow for the possibility of a new connecting roadway between Riverview Road and SR-84. Independent Utility Improvements to Vrooman Road and replacement of the existing bridge will have a value independent of the completion of any other transportation projects in the area. Replacement of the bridge and correction of roadway and intersection deficiencies will enhance safety for drivers traveling within or through the area regardless of other improvement projects. Improvements will also eliminate flooding of the bridge and roadway allowing uninterrupted use of this facility. Vrooman Road Bridge and Roadway Improvement Project (PID 5669 and PID 85131) 14

19 APPENDICES Vrooman Road Bridge and Roadway Improvement Project (PID 5669 and PID 85131) 15

20 Figures Vrooman Road Bridge and Roadway Improvement Project (PID 5669 and PID 85131) 16

21 Figure 1: Map of the state of Ohio, showing the Study Area in relation to drainage areas and county boundaries (ODNR 2004). Vrooman Road Bridge and Roadway Improvement Project (PID 5669 and PID 85131) Purpose and Need 17 June27, 2011

22 Figure 2: Map of Lake County, Ohio, showing the project s Study Area (ODOT 2004). Vrooman Road Bridge and Roadway Improvement Project (PID 5669 and PID 85131) 18

23 Figure 3: Location of the project s Study Area in Lake County, Ohio, from the USGS 1960 (photo revised 1985) Painesville, Ohio quadrangle. Vrooman Road Bridge and Roadway Improvement Project (PID 5669 and PID 85131) 19

24 Figure 4: Location of Lake Metropark s parks in relation to the project s Study Area in Lake County, Ohio (Lake Metroparks Park Guide 2009 Map- Vrooman Road Bridge and Roadway Improvement Project (PID 5669 and PID 85131) 20

25 Figure 5: Identified environmental constraints within and adjacent to the Study Area. Vrooman Road Bridge and Roadway Improvement Project (PID 5669 and PID 85131) Purpose and Need 21 June27, 2011

26 Figure 6: Map of Existing Horizontal Curve Locations Vrooman Road Bridge and Roadway Improvement Project (PID 5669 and PID 85131) 22

27 FIGURE 7A: FLOOD PLAIN MAP Vrooman Road Bridge and Roadway Improvement Project (PID 5669 and PID 85131) 23

28 FIGURE 7B: FLOOD PLAIN MAP Vrooman Road Bridge and Roadway Improvement Project (PID 5669 and PID 85131) 24

29 Photographs Vrooman Road Bridge and Roadway Improvement Project (PID 5669 and PID 85131) 25

30 Photograph 1 - The base of the Vrooman Road retaining wall, looking west. Photograph 2 - The base of the Vrooman Road retaining wall, looking east. Vrooman Road Bridge and Roadway Improvement Project (PID 5669 and PID 85131) 26

31 Photograph 3 - The base of the Vrooman Road retaining wall, looking down from the top. Photograph 4 - Vrooman Road south of the existing bridge at EHC6, looking south west. Vrooman Road Bridge and Roadway Improvement Project (PID 5669 and PID 85131) 27

32 Photograph 5 - Vrooman Road Bridge and the southern approach at EHC6, looking north. Photograph 6 - Vrooman Road south of the existing bridge, looking southeast. Seeley Road is on the left side of Vrooman Road. Vrooman Road Bridge and Roadway Improvement Project (PID 5669 and PID 85131) 28

33 Photograph 7 - Vrooman Road at the intersection of Seeley Road, looking south at EHC5. The intersection is at the curve at the bottom of the hillside. Photograph 8 - Vrooman Road at the southern hillside and EHC5, looking southwest. Approaches to Vrooman Road Bridge are characterized by steep grades and curving alignment. Vrooman Road Bridge and Roadway Improvement Project (PID 5669 and PID 85131) 29

34 Photograph 9 - Vrooman Road at the top of the southern hillside and EHC4, looking south. Photograph 10 - Vrooman Road Bridge at the northern approach andehc7, looking northwest. Vrooman Road Bridge and Roadway Improvement Project (PID 5669 and PID 85131) 30

35 Photograph 11 - Vrooman Road north of the Vrooman Road Bridge, looking northwest at EHC8. This section of Vrooman Road includes the entrance to Mason s Landing Park on the left and the bottom of the northern hillside, from SR-84 in the background. Photograph 12 - Vrooman Road at the bottom of the northern hillside at EHC8 looking southeast. Vrooman Road Bridge is in the background and Mason s Landing Park entrance on the right. Vrooman Road Bridge and Roadway Improvement Project (PID 5669 and PID 85131) 31

36 Photograph 13 - Vrooman Road at the base of the northern hillside and EHC8, looking northwest. This curve in the road is at the bottom of a steep grade. Photograph 14 - Vrooman Road at the bottom of the northern hillside and EHC8, looking west. The retaining wall is on the left side of the roadway. Vrooman Road Bridge and Roadway Improvement Project (PID 5669 and PID 85131) 32

37 Photograph 15 - The intersection of SR-84, Vrooman Road, and Madison Avenue at the top of the northern hillside, looking northeast. Note poor intersection geometry. Photograph 16 - The intersection of SR-84, Vrooman Road, and Madison Avenue at the top of the northern hillside, looking west along Madison Avenue. Vrooman Road Bridge and Roadway Improvement Project (PID 5669 and PID 85131) 33

38 Photograph 17 - The intersection of SR-84, Vrooman Road, and Madison Avenue at the top of the northern hillside, looking south west along SR-84. Photograph 18 - The southern approach roadway to the bridge at EHC6, looking north along Vrooman Road Vrooman Road Bridge and Roadway Improvement Project (PID 5669 and PID 85131) 34