Traffic backs up at the intersection of Calcutta Smith Ferry Road and state Route 170 in Calcutta as customers await entry to the Wash-Rite Express Car Wash at the corner. Columbiana County Engineer Bert Dawson said it’s becoming a problem and he’s contacting the owner and the engineer who designed the property to request they fix the situation. (Photo provided by Columbiana County Engineer Bert Dawson)

LISBON — Columbiana County Engineer Bert Dawson said Monday that he’s aware of a traffic issue in Calcutta with backed-up traffic waiting to get into a car wash property.

Dawson said he received some phone calls about the problem and saw the backup firsthand this past weekend when the weather got warmer and people were out trying to wash their vehicles.

Wash-Rite Express Car Wash at the corner of Calcutta Smith Ferry Road and state Route 170 attracted a lot of traffic, so much so that cars were lining up on the public road waiting to get in and Dawson said that’s a problem.

“That could potentially be a dangerous situation,” he said.

He put in calls to both the owner of the car wash and the developer or engineer who designed the property, saying they need to redesign the traffic flow so the vehicles stay on their property.

“They’re gonna have to fix the situation,” he said.

Dawson also said he planned to talk with the St. Clair Township Police Department chief. When vehicles are stopped and other vehicles try to go around them, there’s the potential for a head-on collision.

He said motorists can’t sit there waiting to get in since that’s a public road.