Marietta Is Getting Some Much Needed Traffic Upgrades

MARIETTA, OH — Marietta drivers prone to road rage will soon have less stress in their life. The City of Marietta is updating its traffic signal system. Marietta Mayor Josh Schlicher says they’re going to be linking a total of 32 intersections together with fiberoptics.

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Schlicher says the system they have in place is less than optimal. “Right now some intersections are independent, some are on old phone lines that don’t connect to the system.” He says this is a huge comprehensive undertaking to basically have all the intersections talk to each other.

The mayor says there are a number of reasons they’ve decided to move forward with these upgrades. “To minimize stop and go traffic, rear-end collisions. There’s a safety factor, there’s an efficiency factor, there’s a pollution control factor.” He says less stop and go equals less idle time. “People will be able to get to their destination faster, and safer.”

Some of the intersections that are getting upgraded run on 1960s technology. Schlicher says even some of the newer intersections in town are starting to show age. He says this will be an adaptive system that takes a lot of factors into account. “It’ll take traffic conditions, speed, traffic movement, volume, all that is put into the system.” This information will be input into the controllers to make the flow of traffic in Marietta more natural.

The 32 intersections that going to be upgraded include Third Street, Washington Street, Front Street, Scammel Street, Putnam Street, North Seventh Street, Greene Street, Pike Street, Marion Street, and Acme Street.

There will be three phases to this project which, when all is said and done, will cost roughly $1,500,000. Most of this comes from federal funding. “The city only has to pay about $150,000.”

Right now what folks in Marietta need to do is be mindful of the crews out doing the groundwork for this project. “Folks are not going to see much physical change because we’re not changing out any of the intersections except the ones we’re removing or altering.” He says most intersections are going to be staying the same. “But the controllers and the guts and the works are all going to be changed out and modernized.”

Mayor Schlicher says the main project should be completed by the end of this year. “The second and third phases should be completed by 2023.” He says everything should look the same, but perform way better.

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