Madison Twp. Fire Chief Kent Hall said when the intersection closed, it “drastically” impacted the department’s response time.
He said calls to the west of Madison Twp. were affected the most.
Now that the roundabout is open, Kent said, “It’s a great deal for us. It’s a great improvement.”
Kent’s son, State Rep. Thomas Hall, R-Madison Twp., was a key player in getting the roundabout project funded.
“This opportunity for this to open would not have been possible without the work of all levels of government in this situation,” Thomas told Journal-News.
“This was obviously a much needed improvement,” he added.
When he drove through the roundabout Thursday, it was “surreal.” He remembered knocking on residents’ doors to get them to sign a petition for the roundabout, which some did not support.
“We can respectfully disagree,” he said. “They weren’t on the fatal crashes that I was on with my father and with the fire department. If we could do anything to make Madison a better place and a safer place, this a step in the right direction to ensure that there’s no more loss of life at that intersection.”
From 2015 to 2020, there were 28 crashes at the Ohio 122 and Elk Creek Road intersection, according to previous Journal-News reporting. Roundabouts have shown to achieve a 44 percent reduction in crashes, according to ODOT.
“That was the whole reason behind the roundabout,” Kent said. “So that should...reduce injuries and fatalities.”
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