Roundabout gets green light

The NC DOT approved a traffic circle for the intersection of Sherrills Ford Road and Briggs Road in Wwestern Rowan County. Photo by Jon C. Lakey, Salisbury Post.

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By Karissa Minn

kminn@salisburypost.com

SALISBURY — Drivers will see a roundabout at the intersection of Sherrills Ford, Briggs and Barringer roads in about a year, the North Carolina Department of Transportation announced Tuesday afternoon.

This will be the first roundabout constructed by the Department of Transportation in Rowan County and one of more than 100 roundabouts maintained by the department statewide.

In a press release, the department said it is building the traffic circle in an effort to improve safety, make travel more efficient and reduce congestion.

“After a careful study of traffic patterns and accident history, the data shows that a roundabout will improve safety at this intersection more effectively than any other option,” said Pat Ivey, the department’s Division 9 engineer, in the press release. “With 22 accidents and one fatality in five years here, it’s critical that we install the most cost-effective, long-term solution to help prevent dangerous crashes, and that’s exactly what the roundabout will allow us to do.”

In 2009, local resident Greg Terry was killed at that intersection when his Saturn was struck by an eastbound truck on Sherrills Ford Road. Months after Terry’s death, his mother Mendee Williams and her neighbors petitioned the Department of Transportation for a stop light.

Although she didn’t get what she asked for, Williams said she’s glad something was finally done.

“I just hope that it makes everybody more safe, and that it saves other parents the heartache that I went through,” she said.

Federal Highway Administration data shows roundabouts have reduced fatalities by 90 percent and injuries by 76 percent nationwide, the press release said.

Williams said she now thinks a roundabout could work better than a stop light, because it will keep people moving along instead of waiting at the intersection.

“I honestly think the traffic circle is a better solution,” she said. “I just hate that it has already caused conflict in the community, but the whole point of it is to try to save lives. ... It could be their kid or grandkid that it saves next time. There have been a lot of accidents there.”

Speaking out

In public meetings late last year, neighbors spoke against the roundabout plan. Many said they’d rather have a traffic signal or a four-way stop installed at the intersection to make it safer.

Some objected to the price tag, and others raised safety concerns about installing a roundabout on roads with 55 mile per hour speed limits.

The project, which is being funded with federal safety money, is estimated to cost $450,000. Construction is expected to begin on this project in October, with final completion set for January 2013.

James Summitt said the traffic circle could make it harder for people to get to his shop. He said he knows a small part of his land will be used for construction, but he’s not sure exactly how it will affect his property.

“I think they could have dropped the speed limit down to 45 miles per hour on Sherrill’s Ford Road and then enforced it,” Summitt said. “That’s the problem. I don’t think they’ve been enforcing it enough.”

The department says it considered significant public input while making its decision, and it is addressing the local community’s concerns in the following ways:

• The speed limit through the roundabout will be 20 miles per hour.

• The department agreed to install street lighting after residents shared concerns about nighttime visibility.

• Residents also were concerned about the sight distance at this intersection, particularly for motorists driving east on Sherrills Ford Road. Transportation staff verified the sight distance was adequate, but agreed to install advanced warning signs on all approaches to the roundabout.

• Transportation staff met with local emergency responders to hear and respond to their concerns about the intersection. The roundabout is designed to accommodate all types of vehicles, including tractor trailers and fire trucks. The department says the 16-foot lane width will make it easier for large trucks and farm equipment to pass through the roundabout than the existing intersection.

• The department says it also worked hard to minimize impacts to access and parking at Graham’s Grocery & Grill, an established business located at this intersection. Motorists will still be able to reach it from both Sherrills Ford Road and Barringer Road.

A traffic signal was one option considered to improve this intersection, but department engineers determined that the cost of constructing and maintaining a roundabout will prove to be more economical over time.

According to the press release, roundabouts have also proven to be a safer solution than traffic signals. Statewide studies show that replacing existing unsignalized intersections with roundabouts reduces accidents by 41 percent, and replacing signalized intersections with roundabouts reduces accidents by 76 percent.

As this will be the first roundabout in Rowan County, the Department of Transportation will give close attention to signage and public education. The department will install signs providing advance warning of the roundabout along each road leading to the intersection.

A roundabout is a circular intersection that channels traffic around a center island without using traffic signals. Because roundabouts allow for continuous flow, they let vehicles pass through the intersection more efficiently than traditional intersections.

This not only reduces congestion but also cuts down on pollution and fuel use, the transportation department said.