Portion of West Fifth becomes one-way

A block of Lorain’s West Fifth Street became a oneway street Jan. 11.

City crews added signage and removed pavement markings in the section of West Fifth Street from West Erie Avenue to Brownell Avenue.

Traffic flow on West Fifth Street will travel west to east.

Lorain police were out Jan. 11 enforcing the change, which applies to residents of the street and all drivers.

Lorain Public Property Manager Lori Garcia announced the change Jan. 10.

The new traffic pattern follows some lane reconfiguration that took place in the resurfacing of U.S. 6, which is Erie Avenue in Lorain.

The Ohio Department of Transportation oversaw that project last year.

On West Erie Avenue, eastbound traffic previously had two lanes of travel at the intersection of West Fifth Street.

When the road was paved, the lanes were repainted at that intersection, so eastbound drivers could select a straight-through lane or a right-turn-only lane leading onto West Fifth Street.

The change was done to help traffic flow at that intersection and the intersection of Erie Avenue and Ashland Avenue just to the west.

The cost to the city should be minimal because city crews made the signs, installed them and grinded off lane markings on West Fifth Street, Garcia said.

“I think it’s going to take some getting used to, but once people do, I think it’s going to make traffic flow much better there,” she said.

The section of West Fifth Street, between Brownell Avenue and Oberlin Avenue, will remain open to two directions of travel.