Mention the name “Killer Crossing” to some Lorainites, and they’ll probably think of the longtime deadly railroad crossing at Beaver Park.
But for a while, there was another “Killer Crossing.” Although it may be hard to believe, where Oak Point Road crosses State Route 2 was once an at-grade crossing. That is, there was no bridge over the limited highway, and you had to skedaddle across the four-lane highway like your life depended on it – and it did.
Read all about the concerns being raised fifty years ago this month in this article from the Sunday Journal of March 14, 1971. It was written by Charles Gray, Staff Writer.
The article mentions the nearby “Bridge to Nowhere,” (featured on the blog back here).
The name of the limited access highway (today's SR 2) apparently still wasn’t finalized in 1971, as it is referred to as I-90 in the article, as well as ‘relocated State 2 and the Lake Erie Freeway.’
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Be sure to visit this 2015 post about the Oak Point Road/State Route 2 interchange, with a great vintage photo of the bridge under construction in 1976 courtesy of Dale Rosenkranz.
2 comments:
I got my first traffic ticket there just before it opened. The highway was complete but there were several orange barrels keeping it closed. There was plenty of room to drive my small sports car through. So I decided to explore. I was sailing along in the roadster, the only car on the long straight highway. Except for the police car in my mirror. I did have a bit of an excuse as I had just put new brakes on and told the officer I wanted to do a few brake tests. He didn't buy it and I got a ticket for driving on a closed highway. When we got back to the intersection the orange barrels were scattered all over. He had apparently rammed the cruiser through them as he sped to catch me. Where did he think I was going? That was probably the first time the police came to the intersection, although sadly not the last.
More recently I was the first car to drive both ways on the newly completed Crocker Rd extension in North Olmsted. I saw all the cars lined up for the grand opening ceremony and got in line. After the mayors of N Olmsted and Westlake congratulated each other on getting the road built they cut the ribbon to a brass band fanfare. The ribbon got cut into 1 foot pieces with a dedication printed on each piece. I still have mine.
We all followed the mayors and several fire trucks with sirens going from Lorain Rd to Center Ridge. Everyone else kept going but I U-turned into the other lane and drove back. The first civilian to go both ways! Got a road to open - I'm your guy.
Dennis, I guess I am going to have to change my nickname for you from “Bulldog” (because of your dogged determination to research things for me and fearlessly get the answers no matter what obstacles – be it man or beast – you encounter) to “The Bandit,” (in obvious reference to the Burt Reynolds’ same-named, law-flaunting character in the ‘Smokey and the Bandit’ films! I hope you were wearing a cowboy hat while you zipped along on that virgin pavement.
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