Heisley Road has new traffic signal

The new traffic signal at Heisley Road, Whalers Cove in Mentor now operating.

Mentor motorists now have another reason to stop along Heisley Road.

A new traffic light went into operation at Whalers Cove on Nov. 6.

The signal was installed in response to complaints from subdivision residents about poor line of sight when exiting onto Heisley. A project to widen the road from two lanes to four increased the curve south of Whalers Cove and cut sight distance by about half.

Mentor City Engineer David Swiger said from a safety standpoint, the traffic signal provides protected movements from Whalers Cove to Heisley Road northbound or southbound.

While the intersection met Ohio Department of Transportation design requirements, city officials sought a solution.

The project — discussed by City Council’s Traffic Safety Committee in February — eventually will include an additional light at the city’s new Springbrook Gardens Park to the south.

“To me, it represents the city’s commitment to safety,” Ward 1 Councilman Sean Blake said. “When Heisley was widened, it became apparent that the northbound curb lane was in a blind spot as it approached the intersection of Whalers Cove. The best solution to ensure safety was to install the signal.

“A side benefit was to run that light in tandem with the light to be placed at the entrance to Springbrook Gardens Park. Both signals working together will keep traffic flowing on Heisley with minimal delays. I thank city management and City Council for their commitment to providing safety in our city.”

The light was on flash mode for several days before going into full operation.

Much of the installation was done by city crews in an effort to cut costs. The city paid about $150,000 for the project, Swiger said.

“The city performed a lot of the work in-house, which brought the cost down,” he added.

The other option involved relocating a retaining wall southeast of the intersection 8 feet eastward. This would have required moving gas lines, telephone poles and more property acquisition. The cost estimate was $100,000, plus another $20,000 to $40,000 to eliminate the sight-distance issue at the park.

The traffic count at Whalers Cove is about 700 cars daily. There is a second access to the subdivision on Jackson Street. At peak times, the park is anticipated to generate about 600 vehicles a day.