Roundabouts gaining acceptance
Lehi, other Utah County cities say the interchanges work
Now if folks could just get used to it.
"Most people don't move directly into the traffic flow. They stop and wait until the whole circle is empty," Mellor said.
Mellor's home and business are just a block away from Lehi's roundabout, so he knew firsthand the traffic headaches that grew when a two-lane Main Street in a country town in a matter of years because the main corridor to three growing cities.
Engineer Kyle Comer said the Lehi roundabout designed to handle up to 16,000 cars a day seemed like the perfect solution to two major problems: Cars needed to be funneled through the intersection faster, yet motorists needed to slow down.
The campaign to gain approval for the roundabout's construction was bumpy, he said. Westerners simply aren't used to such a road design.
"Typically, roundabouts are put in locations where traffic conditions and pedestrian conditions demand it," Comer said. "This one is extremely lively. I don't think it's perfect, but the traffic accidents we have there are not as severe as what we were seeing.
"There's more attention paid to how the cars come in, and they are significantly more thought-out," said Comer, who works for Civil Science Engineering.
Roundabouts are gaining popularity. It seems there's a roundabout at nearly every turn.
Eagle Mountain, Lehi, Alpine, Cedar Hills, Lindon and Utah Valley State College which last week was given $1.6 million by the Utah Transportation Commission to build an extra lane to connect to the I-15 onramp all have solved intersection issues with roundabouts.
Orem and Provo, Utah County's largest cities, also have started building roundabouts.
Deseret News graphic
CommentsRelated content
As more and more dads are put out of work in this economy, I've been... The photographs are mysterious, brooding, dark. They show dimples and... I love Millsap, and the Jazz will find a way to move Boozer and match for... i think its childish to assume that somebody would actually want to get... Millsap and Boozer need to stay in Utah. Millsap is Boozers backup while he... Childish and immature? Its always easier being ignorant and presuming things... can you use words like testimony and church leadership to critisize a... Bro P really helped me through a tough time in my life when I had him in... These are only allegations at present, but I hope when he goes to trial, the... My thoughts are with the Pratt family right now. Michael I hope you are... It is interesting that everyone who seems to be a member comments on how nice... You presume, simply because they were gay, that they were trying to "stir...
Advertisements
|




You can be the first to comment on this story.