Roundabout design moves ahead

2008-1118_roundabout_design.jpg

The City Council has approved a $197,000 contract to design a roundabout at Commercial Ave. where Highway 20 comes into town.

2008-1118_roundabout_design.jpg
(Early design concept)

The City Council has approved a $197,000 contract to design a roundabout at Commercial Ave. where Highway 20 comes into town.

The vote to move ahead with a proposal for a roundabout to replace the current three-way intersection came Monday night.

Council member Cynthia Richardson asked about extending the 30 miles-per-hour speed limit east from Commercial Ave to the R Ave. traffic light.

There was also some discussion about crosswalks. The preliminary design work envisioned three crosswalks, but the current design shows only one crosswalk. The city, however, will consider putting the other two crosswalks back into the final design.

The roundabout has been about 30 percent designed. The contract with Reid Middleton will complete the design work.

Mayor Dean Maxwell told a reporter he hopes the city will receive funding to build the roundabout construction by next summer. He indicated the city will look for a grant to pay the approximately $1 million cost. The city considers the roundabout it’s number one transportation project for 2009.