ARLINGTON — The intersection of Highway 9 and 172nd Street NE won’t become a roundabout until 2011 at the earliest, but the state wants drivers to get used to the idea now.
An open house about the roundabout is scheduled tonight at Arlington High School.
Department of Transportation engineers recently decided that a $15.6 million roundabout is the best way to relieve congestion and improve safety at the intersection.
After meeting with local drivers, business owners and truck drivers during the summer, engineers chose the roundabout solution over a new traffic signal there.
“We really looked at the pros and cons of each option and found that the roundabout provides the greatest safety and congestion benefits for the longest period of time,” said Jason Koreski, project manager for the state. “It will provide the greatest return on our investment, working efficiently 20 to 30 years from now.”
Beloved in some circles and scorned in others, roundabouts are fast becoming an alternative to traffic lights and stop signs in Western Washington.
In the future, drivers traveling between I-5 and Highway 9 on 172nd Street NE may have to navigate roundabouts at as many as five intersections.
Right now, though, there’s only enough money to make improvements at the intersection of Highway 9 and 172nd Street NE, which is also known as Highway 531.
Daily, more than 16,000 drivers use the intersection. During the past five years about 30 people have been seriously injured in collisions there, most caused when drivers were turning left at the intersection, transportation officials said.
With Arlington’s population expected to increase 75 percent by 2025, it’s time to make a change, transportation officials told the Arlington City Council earlier this year.
Even if a lot of development occurs near the intersection, a roundabout there is projected to work efficiently for several decades, transportation officials said.
The city doesn’t have much say in the state’s plans for the roundabout because it’s at the intersection of two state highways, public works director James Kelly said. Still, city officials are supportive of the proposal.
Roundabouts keep traffic moving, and are the clear winners over traffic signals for fuel efficiency, pedestrian safety and fewer delays on the road, Kelly said.
“This should be a good roundabout,” City Councilman Steve Baker said. “It should slow people down near the high school.”
Gale Fiege: 425-339-3427; gfiege@heraldnet.com.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
