I-90 exit work reopens road at center of suburban dispute

AVON, Ohio - Avon Road in Westlake has reopened to traffic, at least temporarily.

Construction of the new I-90 interchange at Lear-Nagel Road caused ODOT to close Avon Road at Lear-Nagel Road last week. The closure would have cut off access to homes in subdivisions off Avon Road in Avon.

The short section of Avon Road in Westlake, west of Bradley Road, has been re-paved and re-striped but remains at its former width, narrow enough for no center stripe to be added.

The road had been at the center of a dispute between Westlake and Avon for years.

Westlake barricaded the road in 2009 at the Avon border saying the narrow, pothole-filled road was unsafe. Officials in Avon said it was a needed lifeline for safety forces. Lorain County commuters looking for a shortcut to the Crocker Road interchange were sent in search of a detour.

The rusted barrels and guardrail that acted as a barricade in the suburban border skirmish remain on scene, signaling the blockade may have subsided, but will resume after the interchange construction is complete.