Crosswalk coming to busy area

HURON — They're taking strides to improve pedestrian safety for residents, community members and visitors. The latest example: Huron officials recently received a $123,300 state grant to add a "high-visibility, multimodal crosswalk" on Jim Campbell Boulevard near Huron High School. Huron officials need to contribute a small portion, roughly $14,000, for this project, totaling $137,000. Project tasks also involve incorporating additional lighting to better illuminate this crossing. The request for a crosswalk comes from several local stakeholders: Huron school board members, city council officials and residents. Regarding the location, more specifically, it's where several points connect: the Lake Erie Electric Trail, the footbridge spanning U.S. 6 and near a main entrance for Huron High School's football stadium. "This uniquely complex intersection is heavily traveled by residents, students and vehicular traffic," according to a city statement. "Upgrading a pedestrian crossing to a high-visibility multimodal crossing is part of a broader effort to improve safety and connectivity for people utilizing the interchange and sets up for future multi-use development." Construction work should start and end later this year, ideally wrapping up before the new school year begins. "As always, we would like to thank our partners at (the) Ohio Department of Transportation for their continued support," the statement read. "Without which, these types of projects would not be possible."