If you use the Liberty Lake I90 exit or entrance, chances are good that you've gotten tied up at some point in the wait caused by construction on a new roundabout at Mission and Harvard Roads.
Well, the Washington State Department of Transportation says hang on, because the wait is almost over and construction almost done.
With development on the rise in the area, that intersection has been a busy one and due to traffic volumes on Harvard, have traditionally had trouble turning either direction onto Harvard from Mission or the freeway exit. The roundabout will cut the wait time by eliminating the long lines by keeping traffic moving at the intersection.
Roundabouts offer advantages
that signals and stop signs can’t:
- Low travel speeds – Drivers
must slow down and yield to traffic before entering a roundabout. Travel
speeds in a roundabout are typically between 15 and 20 miles per hour.
- No light to beat –
Roundabouts are designed to promote a continuous, circular flow of
traffic. Drivers need only yield to traffic before entering a roundabout;
if there is no traffic in the roundabout, drivers are not required to
stop. Because traffic is constantly flowing through the intersection,
drivers don't have the incentive to speed up to try and "beat the
light," like they might at a traditional intersection.
- One-way travel – Roads
entering a roundabout are gently curved to direct drivers into the
intersection and help them travel counterclockwise around the roundabout.
- Conserved fuel, reduced emissions – According to a study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, intersections converted to roundabouts can reduce delays up to 62-74 percent, cut fuel consumption up to 235,000 gallons per year and cause fewer emissions and pollutants to be released into the atmosphere.
No comments:
Post a Comment