COLUMBIANA — A Springfield Road resident is asking the city to have a traffic light installed at the state Route 14 and Springfield Road intersection.

Carol Friedman said that traffic has gotten worse there since the development of the area, with the Dollar Tree and Tractor Supply stores bringing in more traffic.

“It’s like a three ring circus down there. There have been a number of accidents, including one this afternoon,” she told City Council during the regular meeting last week.

She said that most of the traffic is not adhering to the speed limit when police officers aren’t there.

“Trucks are coming down, big giant dump trucks and semi trucks are starting to come down, and it’s not pleasant,” she said.

She added that she already contacted City Hall and was told to contact the Ohio Department of Transportation in Columbus but was told by ODOT that the city is the one that decides about a traffic light.

City Manager Lance Willard said that typically the city needs ODOT approval to have a new traffic light installed.

He added that the city can look into what would be required to get a light possibly installed there.

Resident Tom Friedman of Springfield Road also asked if the dump trucks working on the construction project on East Park Avenue have to use Springfield Road.

“Huge dump trucks are going up and down Springfield road all day long. Do they have to use a residential street? Can’t they go around somewhere?” he asked.

Willard explained that Springfield Road is actually considered a federal highway.

“We just paved that road with federal highway money. Certain roads in the U.S. qualify for federal funds. That is a federal truck route, it’s a big part of a traffic plan, safety plan, nationwide that we need to keep these roads up and that is one of them,” Willard explained.

As a result of it being considered a federal highway the city is unable to post it as prohibited to truck traffic, he added.

“We have $4 million worth of storm water projects going on right now. We are going to try to open up East Park Avenue as quick as possible, but Court and Herbster is going to look like a war zone too,” Willard said.

He went on to say that the city has had to deal with storm water issues since the 1960s and that once the work is done the heavy traffic shouldn’t be as big of a problem.

“We only have to do this once. I know Court and Herbster has to be done by Aug. 22 and they are moving along pretty good,” he said.