Two Northwest 62nd Avenue Roundabouts to Debut Saturday
There are still opportunities for residents to get better acquainted with roundabout procedures at the library and online.
Photos
The weekend commute along Northwest 62nd Avenue will include a few new elements.
Almost exactly a year after construction began on the road, two of the four roundabouts will be operational at some point Saturday.
The two east roundabouts at Pioneer Parkway and at Pioneer's Carver Building entrance will be open, Brad Hopkey, lead civil engineer with Foth Infrastructure and Environment, said Wednesday.
Westbound traffic will have two lanes open from the Johnston High School to Pioneer's greenhouses.
Eastbound traffic will be restricted to a single lane from the greenhouses to the high school for the next few weeks to accommodate some miscellaneous construction that needs to be completed, Hopeky said.
The temporary traffic signal at Pioneer Parkway will also be removed Saturday.
Residents who have not attended community meetings regarding use of the roundabouts can still try their luck at the Johnston Public Library.
Two large-scale walkable roundabouts are available for use near the circulation desk.
Drivers can also maneuver the roundabouts through an interactive link to a Wisconsin "tutorial."
The four roundabouts will be located at the new Pioneer Beaver Creek entrance located just west of Beaver Creek and at South Drive, the Pioneer Carver entrance and Pioneer Parkway.
The project includes widening Northwest 62nd Avenue from Northwest 86th Street to Meadow Crest Drive from a single lane in each direction to two lanes in each direction. A second bridge will be constructed just north of the existing bridge over Beaver Creek to accommodate two additional westbound lanes, as well as a multi-use trail.
Construction on Northwest 62nd Avenue began Sept. 19, 2011. While the project comes with an estimated $7 million price tag, the city will pay only a fraction of the cost; a state grant will cover $6.3 million.
For other Northwest 62nd Avenue Construction news see these stories:
- Northwest 62nd Avenue Constrution Creates Commute Challenge
- Johnston Prepares Residents, Commuters to Use Roundabouts
- Reconstruction of NW 62nd On Track, Headaches For Drivers To Come
- Wallace Preschoolers Learn about Johnston's Ongoing Road Construction
- Northwest 62nd Avenue Constrution Creates Commute Challenge
Dennis Pine
6:53 am on Friday, September 21, 2012
Let the accidents begin. This was a huge waste of money.
ScottRAB
7:10 pm on Friday, September 21, 2012
The FHWA has a video about modern roundabouts that is mostly accurate (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhHzly_6lWM ).
Modern roundabouts are the safest form of intersection in the world. Search www.iihs.org for FAQs and safety facts. The safety comes from the ‘slow and go’ operation instead of the ‘stop or go fast’ way a stop light works (or the ‘keep going fast’ large traffic circle fantasy). The smaller size of the modern roundabout is what makes them safer and keeps speeds in the 20 mph range. This makes it much easier to avoid a crash or stop for pedestrians. It also means that if a crash happens the likelihood of injury is very low. Safety is the #1 reason there are over 2,400 modern roundabouts in the US today and many more on the way.