People cross the street at the corner of Bertha Avenue and Scioto Trail with no traffic light to stop traffic for pedestrians

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Frank Lewis

PDT Staff Writer

At a recent Portsmouth City Council meeting, Mayor David Malone asked the Council to bring forward an ordinance to appropriate $3,450 as the city’s half of a traffic study at the corner of Argonne Road and U.S. 23, a study requested by King’s Daughters Medical Center.

During the course of the discussion, Malone made mention of possible plans by KDMC to move the current location of Spring Lane several blocks north.

“There is a plan through KDMC to present to the Planning Committee, for the next two phases of growth in that area, and one calls for Spring Lane to be moved further north and actually put a light there,” Malone said. “Spring Lane would be closed to traffic. There is a creation of another street in place of Spring Lane.”

Now, First Ward Councilman Kevin Johnson is asking for the city to move forward with a study concerning the placing of a traffic light at the corner of Scioto Trail and Bertha Avenue.

“The impression given to Council is that these plans were somewhat ‘immediate,’ especially a ‘Spring Lane’ plan to present to the Planning Committee,” Johnson said in an email. “Such would obviously make the requested light at Bertha Avenue moot… not needed.”

Johnson went on to say - “I had opportunity earlier today to meet with Howard Harrison, MBA, CHE, Vice President of Facilities for King’s Daughters Medical Center. He stated that while such plans have been made there has been no decision as to when such plans shall be acted upon and they certainly have no plans to present anything in the near term to the Planning Committee. Further, he stated he could not give a time-line for any current or future expansion/planning decisions.”

Johnson then asked that the city proceed with action on that proposed traffic light.

“Given this timing uncertainty, I believe it unfair to the citizens in this area to continue waiting for a stoplight to be installed, as proposed and budgeted (in the CIP), at Bertha Avenue,” Johnson said. “As Mr. Harrison and I discussed, the traffic along U.S. 23/Scioto Trail is horrendous, traffic does NOT proceed at 35 mph but at much higher speeds, crossing Scioto Trail (as many locals do) is extremely dangerous, and residents in the Argonne/Bertha area have great difficulty accessing Scioto Trail at practically any time of day. I respectfully request that the promised study of a Bertha Avenue/Scioto Trail traffic light be completed as soon as possible.”

Frank Lewis may be reached at 740-353-3101, ext. 252, or at flewis@heartlandpublications.com.