New roundabout coming to 97A and Ohme Garden Road

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New roundabout coming to 97A and Ohme Garden Road

Monday, February 27, 2012

WENATCHEE — The state Department of Transportation will build a roundabout this summer on Highway 97A where it intersects both Ohme Garden Road and Stemilt Warehouse Way.

Project Engineer Kevin Waligorski says the intersection, just north of Olds Station, has a high volume of traffic from employees at the nearby Stemilt fruit warehouse and fruit trucks.

If you go:

What: Open house on the proposed roundabout for Highway 97A at Ohme Garden Road and Stemilt Warehouse Way.

When: Feb. 29, 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Where: State Department of Transportation’s “Maintenance Area 1,” Building B, conference room, 2830 Euclid Ave., Wen.

Content: View roundabout design, learn about traffic flow, talk to experts, sound off.

Stemilt Growers will pay for one-third of the roundabout’s approximately $500,000 cost, Waligorski said.

The intersection is heavily traveled by the fruit company’s employees, which number about 500 during the off-season, but swell to 1,200 during harvest, according to the DOT.

Roundabouts can cost $1.5 million or more to build, but this one will cost less because its construction will coincide with DOT plans to repave the area, Waligorski said.

Also, the roundabout will fit almost entirely on the existing pavement, no land will have to be acquired for the project or special earth-moving done, he said.

“This intersection has been on a list for improvement, but has never been a high enough priority to receive funding,” Waligorski said. “We have some accident history there, and we can do this for a low cost.”

The speed limit along Highway 97A at the site is 45 mph. The intersection is not controlled by a traffic light.

Roundabouts keep traffic flowing, often without the need for a full stop.

The 97A roundabout will be the first of its kind on a state highway in North Central Washington, although Waligorski says they’re plentiful west of the Cascades.

The new one will be a slightly oval shape, to make it easier for north- and south-bound traffic to get around it, he said.

It will be about the same size as the roundabout near Pangborn Memorial Airport, he said, but with an inner “truck apron” that more easily allows the trailer of a turning semi to ride up, onto the apron, if necessary, to negotiate the curve.

DOT spokesman Jeff Adamson said officials contacted more than 2,000 people in the Olds Station area to let them know about the project and invite them to an open house Wednesday to learn more.

He said they’ve received seven comment letters and emails — all negative.

Waligorski said this is the expected reaction.

“Usually, where you see is 60-some percent who do not like roundabouts when they’re proposed, but after they’re in, it flips,” he said, “with 65 percent in favor, after they get used to it and see how it works.”

Christine Pratt: 665-1173

pratt@wenatcheeworld.com

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» 24 comments on this story

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jimvines 1 year, 2 months ago

Why put any apron at all? Why not just keep it flat? Than the semi's have nothing to go up and over.

lonedog3 1 year, 2 months ago

why not just put in a stop light? one company is affected here so why creat a nuisence for all traffic?

Stever 1 year, 2 months ago

Driving from Amsterdam to Florence, when off the autostradas and autobahns, I encountered a plethora of roundabouts. This particular method of smoothly moving traffic saves fuel and time. I encourage replacing many of our four way stops and red lights with roundabouts; the efficiency gained is amazing.

cbuick 1 year, 2 months ago

One of the most difficult uncontrolled intersections to negotiate in Wenatchee is the Orondo/Okanogan/Washington/Methow complex intersection. It was made even more difficult a few years ago when the city "improved" the intersection, making it even more difficult to make left turns from westbound Orondo onto Okanogan, and from northbound Okanogan onto westbound Orondo. It's particularly difficult to go from Okanogan Ave to westbound Washington. A solution to this would be to construct a roundabout, or traffic circle (a traffic oval?). The center of the roundabout would be paved level so that the Apple Blossom parade could go straight through the intersection; plastic water filled jersey barriers could be used to close off the center for the rest of the year.

wink 1 year, 2 months ago

Roundabouts=effective population control. Traffic lights make more sense. Of course, government thought and common sense are extreme opposites.

Peggy 1 year, 2 months ago

I've lived in large cities where there were many traffic circles. They were, however, much larger, and obviously well thought out, and thus easier for all sizes of vehicles to negotiate easily. The tiny little roundabout put in near Pangborn is ridiculous as it's nearly impossible for anything larger than a small family car to drive on. It will be interesting to see the design for this latest one since it is apparently being designed for a private business that relies heavily on 18 wheelers.

willoughbyccfd5 1 year, 2 months ago

I was in the Dalles, Oregon a while back and watched a Semi Truck with van trailer attempt to navigate the same size round about that Pangborn has. It was not succesful as the semi hit another vehicle in the roundabout because he was too long to navigate it, with the driving apron. They have been proposing round abouts in Chelan for years, but I have seen the designs and done the math, big trucks would not work well. They say that the center of the round about is a pedestrian safety refuge, but it is drivable for the big trucks. So, does that make the pedestrians drivable too? Some safety project, why they say they want to do these, to protect pedestrians.

Chuck 1 year, 2 months ago

If you've got a car that corners well, roundabouts can be fun!

Annsboy 1 year, 2 months ago

waste of money

ScottRAB 1 year, 2 months ago

Modern roundabouts are the safest form of intersection in the world.  Visit www.iihs.org for FAQs and safety facts.  The safety comes from the ‘slow and go’ operation instead of the ‘stop or go fast’ way a stop light works (or the ‘keep going fast’ large traffic circle fantasy).  The smaller size of the modern roundabout is what makes them safer and keeps speeds in the 20 mph range.  This makes it much easier to avoid a crash or stop for pedestrians.  It also means that if a crash happens the likelihood of injury is very low.  Safety is the #1 reason there are over 2,400 modern roundabouts in the US today and many more on the way.  
Slow and go also means less delay than a stop light, especially the other 20 hours a day people aren’t driving to or from work.  Average daily delay at a signal is around 12 seconds per car.  At a modern roundabout average delay is less than five seconds. Signals take an hour of demand and restrict it to a half hour, at best only half the traffic gets to go at any one time.  At a modern roundabout four drivers entering from four directions can all enter at the same time.  Don’t try that with a signalized intersection.
 If you want to see the difference between a traffic circle, a rotary (UK roundabout) and a modern roundabout, search www.k-state.edu to see pictures.  www.fhwa.dot.gov has a video about modern roundabouts that is mostly accurate (http://tinyurl.com/3hjrqus ).

The truck apron is there so the regular traffic is kept at a safe 20 mph.

grbadave 1 year, 2 months ago

Excellent clarification. I'm in Denmark right now, with roudabouts all over, even some with two lanes in busy places. After getting used to them, I've gotta say that when I get stopped at a traffic light, I'm thinking: "geez, what a waste of my time, gas, pollution, ewar and tear on my brakes, etc". I think it's safe to assume the US style traffic light had its skeptics 100 yrs ago, and are now accepted. Traffic circles seem odd at first, but they have so many advantages in real life, that they surely will experience the same evolution.

Annsboy 1 year, 2 months ago

I guess we will be getting used to them but 500k apiece? Wow! where do I sign up for this pork project?

kyook 1 year, 2 months ago

I've often thought that we could use more roundy-rounders when I am sitting at an intersection, idling & wasting gas when there are no cars coming in the other lanes.

At least flashing red/yellow is a small step in the right direction at certain places at certain times.

manngel 1 year, 2 months ago

It's going to be similar in size to the roundabout near the airport. Well, that's too bad. That one is a huge pain to get through, even with no other cars nearby. Simply too small. Actually, whoever invented the roundabout should have been shot before the first one was ever built. They are nothing but confusing for the average driver and, as such, impede traffic flow. And, if you think the one at Pangborn is inconvenient, go to the bottom of Fifth St. and navigate through that one - which took out about 1/2 a parking lot to build.

outsidethebox 1 year, 2 months ago

With all the positive experiences many people relate regarding navigating roundabouts, the long (again positive) history of roundabouts in other areas of both our country and the world and the fact it was stated that this will be cheaper than a stop light, I find it difficult to understand the arguments against them. To say that "they are nothing but confusing for the average driver" is an insult to the average driver. I for one have more faith in the average person in this community than that. If roundabouts are too difficult for someone to understand, then I sure don't want to see them at a 4-way stop with multiple through lanes plus turn lanes - think 9th and Valley Mall Pkwy.

willoughbyccfd5 1 year, 2 months ago

I have to ask, why not poll ALL of the people who use this highway regularly, not just the locals.I use this highway quite a bit and have been for the past 25 years, while living in Manson, 40 miles to the north. I have navigated round abouts for about the last 10 years and they always scare me, because some people believe they have all of the right of way and if you do not give it to them, they will take it at risk of causing an accident. I have been at two roundabouts in recent years where there were accidents because both drivers thought they each had the right of way and forced it. I see this as a form of aggressive driving, but it can be just as bad for people who do not navigate them at all and become confused. My main concern though, why did the DOT not have public meetings or workshops open to all who use this highway regularly? I may be in Manson, but that does not change the fact that hundreds of people from Manson, and even more from Chelan and Entiat, use this highway on a nearly daily basis, but they do not get to put forth their opinion regarding this. This article is the first I have heard about this round about, and it is an article saying it is going to happen. I,like many people, pay my share for these roads, do I not get a voice?

yankie 1 year, 2 months ago

Why not put it to a vote oh that's right it is the Obama era so we have to do what we are TOLD... The one up here @ the airport was the most stupid thing all the fruit trucks, pickups, cars, motor cycles, bicycles have a heck of a time It is really a shame these engineres are not elected, we have voted out the douglas county commisioners who forced this round about on us ( oh yea remember all of us fruit growers / haulers were liarers when we complained about the trucks not fitting through it so the trucks had to ride up on it bruising our fruit as the trucks bounced off the ledge ) except for 1 and his turn is coming around...Think about that Chelan county you make enough of your voters mad the same can happen to you... We have a voice and aren't afraid to use it...

RWeekes 1 year, 2 months ago

Yankie - this has nothing to do with Obama or Chelan County Commissioners. This is a State DOT project. It is entirely reasonable to disagree with roundabouts and their negative impact on large vehicles and fruit growers. But your arguments become less powerful when you bring up irrelevant issues such as Obama. Stick to the topic.

RayJ 1 year, 2 months ago

Just another project that "we the people" have little or no say on.

dryside 1 year, 2 months ago

This should get interessting when 2 or 3 semis come out of Stemilt and head south as a semi is headed north into the roundabout. Las Vengas has an area on their freeway called the spaghetti bowl, we can call this the fruit bowl. I hope they keep tabs on the number of accidents.

zaphoid63 1 year, 2 months ago

You have got to be kidding me.This is a stemilt problem. they have 2 exits already and could make a third onto the off ramp next to them. it is very clear that the people that want this do not drive on 97a. they are giong to make a bigger problem than it is. tourist season, fruit harvest is already bad enough. so they put around about in,what happens at 330, no one will be able to get through it because stemilt traffic will take over..put in a light