The Road Ahead With RTC: 4th Woodland Roundabout

SPONSORED: The installation of a roundabout at the intersection of West 4th Street and Woodland Avenue is underway. The project includes some traffic changes, starting with the closure of approximately 500 feet of Mesa Park Road from 4th Street to the north during the first phase of construction while Sierra Nevada Construction builds a retaining wall below that roadway. The lanes on 4th Street are reconfigured to maintain two-way traffic. Intermittent flagging operations may result in delays up to 20 minutes. That phase is expected to be completed by the end of May. The entire project could wrap up by the end of August.

The RTC is putting a roundabout at this intersection to increase safety. Traffic speeds are high on this stretch of road and the roundabout is expected to make it easier for cars to turn onto 4th Street more easily and safely. There have been some serious crashes in this area but the roundabout is expected to reduce the number and severity of crashes. Studies show that roundabouts reduce the number of crashes by about 30 percent. Roundabout crashes are typically less severe than at signalized or stop controlled intersections. If there are crashes in the future at this location, the traffic on 4th Street will be traveling at a lower rate of speed, and there will be fewer head-on and T-bone collisions. This intersection will include safety features for cyclists and pedestrians, too. Roundabouts typically reduce wait times at a stop sign or traffic signal. That means drivers will spend less time on the road.

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