ODOT Attempts To Get Traffic Moving Faster After Crashes

Ohio Department of Transportation officials said on Wednesday that traffic congestion costs central Ohio nearly $300 million each year.

ODOT is launching a new program called Quick Clear to help reduce those costs and help get traffic moving more quickly following crashes, 10TV's Karina Nova reported.

"When you see that backup for two or three miles, you have to see who's in that backup," ODOT Emergency Management Coordinator Alan Phillips said. "It's doctors, it's lawyers, it's people that have to be to appointments."

Phillips said that the Quick Clear would increase communication, cooperation and coordination between responding agencies.

Matt Noble, assistant fire chief for Orange Township, said that fire departments are usually some of the first responders and often block lanes.

"We have to assess the dangers," Noble said. "It's not as minor as people might think. We deal with a lot of hazardous cargo traveling up and down our freeways."

Ohio State Highway Patrol Capt. Shawn Davis said that crash investigations can take more time and slow down cleanup.

"I've been on some where the freight on the 53-foot box truck has to be unloaded by hand, but even in those cases, ODOT says crews can do a better job moving traffic through," Davis said.

Phillips said responders have different options, such as moving a vehicle to the median and coming back when traffic is less congested.

A new Quick Clear committee will review crash video and find ways to improve the process of clearing crashes, Nova reported.

"Our goals are for a minor accident to have the traffic moving again in 30 minutes, an intermediate accident 50 minutes and for a major accident like hazardous material, two hours is our goal," Noble said.

Both law enforcement and fire crews said that their No. 1 goal was safety for crash victims, emergency crews and other drivers.

ODOT officials said that they were already seeing progress from the Quick Clear program.

A serious crash in Richland County recently took only 30 minutes to clear, and that included the time it took a helicopter to land and take off from the highway, Nova reported.

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