ROSS TWP., Greene County — A stretch of state Route 72 in Greene County was shut down for several hours Thursday morning after a box truck hauling beer overturned.
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The crash happened around 7:45 a.m. on state Route 72 and Spahr Road, located between Jamestown and Cedarville in Ross Twp., Greene County.
A preliminary investigation found the box truck swerved to avoid a truck driving the opposite direction that was too close to the centerline, state troopers told News Center 7. The box truck went off the side of the road, overturned, and came to rest on its side.
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The driver of the box truck was not injured and will not face any citations in the crash, state troopers said.
State Route 72 was closed until just before noon while the box truck was unloaded and up-righted.
The stretch of state Route 72 is known for issues with semitrailers and other trucks, often involving crashes that cause drivers to overturn their vehicles.
“Considering the roadway, there’s a very narrow berm here, so there’s not much margin for error. When he went into the ditch, it caused the truck to overturn,” Trooper Jaysen Kelly told News Center 7. “There is no room for error. It can be pretty dangerous. You definitely want to pay attention.”
A project has been proposed that would widen the stretch of state Route 72 between Jamestown and Cedarville, designed to reduce the number of crashes on the stretch, state troopers told News Center 7.
“This is definitely a hot bed for semi crashes overturning into the ditch. Thankfully this next year we’ll be widening this road,” Kelly said.
Previously, state Route 72 was widened just north of U.S. 35. However the new project will see the entire stretch between Jamestown and Cedarville widened to help reduce the number of crashes.
The project, which is scheduled to start in the spring of 2023, will widen the lanes on state Route 72 and the shoulder, Mandi Dillion, Ohio Department of Transportation spokesperson told News Center 7.
“(The project) will widen the lanes and the shoulder, allowing for the installation of edge and centerline rumble stripes. This work will improve the pavement in this area, as well as improving safety along this stretch of SR 72,” Dillon said.
The estimated cost for the project is $7.3 million, according to Dillon.
Kelly added the stretch of state Route 72 is often used by truckers as a bit of a shortcut to get to I-70 or I-71 instead of going through Dayton or Columbus.
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