Citations to start for wrong turns on U.S. 24/Trail

10/23/2012
BY REBECCA CONKLIN KLEIBOEMER
BLADE STAFF WRITER

For more than two months, Maumee police officers have been stopping motorists who turn left on the entrance ramp to U.S. 24/Anthony Wayne Trail from Fallen Timbers Lane and reminding them that they are breaking the law.

Anyone caught doing so from now on will receive a citation, Sgt. Timothy Stratton said.

"Warnings are over," he said.

During construction of the U.S. 24 bypass in the area, all traffic on Fallen Timbers Lane from either Russell Road by the Shops at Fallen Timbers or from Jerome Road connecting to North River Road was routed onto northbound lanes of the Trail via the entrance ramp in the northeast quadrant of the interchange. The circular ramp in the southeast quadrant was closed.

With work on the highway complete, motorists driving south on Fallen Timbers Lane, from the shops area, must turn right onto the reopened entrance ramp to northbound 24.

Sgt. Stratton said this always had been the proper entrance ramp because the Ohio Department of Transportation intends for traffic to enter divided highways with a right turn whenever possible.

Signs indicate that no left turn is permitted onto the other straight ramp; right turns from the Jerome Road side of Fallen Timbers Lane are permitted.

"We gave the folks a while of time to get used to it," Sgt. Stratton said.

He said warnings didn't seem to have much effect, and motorists who were stopped complained to officers for "not having anything better to do."

However, he said, the enforcement is intended to keep everyone safe and to facilitate the proper flow of traffic on the highway. Officers patrol the area every day, the sergeant said.

Citations for failure to follow a traffic control device or an improper left turn cost $124, according to Maumee Municipal Court's traffic and criminal division.

Contact Rebecca Conklin Kleiboemer at rconklin@theblade.com or 419-356-8786.