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The Wisconsin Department of Transportation is expected to host a public hearing on a proposal to locate roundabout at the Highway 45 and K intersection, Bristol village Trustee Carolyn Owens announced at Monday’s Village Board meeting.
Village administrator said he also heard about that meeting informally froma DOT official. He said he would post on the village’s website when he received written notice.
Roundabouts along Highway 45 have been proposed by the state at several intersections along Highway 45. The Bristol Village Board opposed placing roundabouts at Highways C and WG as part of the Highway 45 reconstruction expected to start in 2015. The board has not taken a formal decision on the Highway 45 and K roundabout, which would be located in Bristol and Paris.
Roundabouts, says Wikipedia, are “a type of circular junction in which road traffic must travel in one direction around a central island. Signs usually direct traffic entering the circle to slow down and give the right of way to drivers already in the circle.†Traffic engineers say they are significantly safer than intersections that require some of the traffic to stop.
Modern roundabouts are the safest form of intersection in the world. Search http://www.iihs.org for FAQs and safety facts.
If you want to see the difference between a traffic circle, a rotary (UK roundabout) and a modern roundabout, search http://www.k-state.edu to see pictures. http://www.fhwa.dot.gov has a video about modern roundabouts that is mostly accurate (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhHzly_6lWM ).
Scott. Great information! I appreciate you taking the time to post that. I don’t understand why there are not more people for these?? Too many accidents, injuries and deaths the way things are now with the intersections. Hopefully this will make everyone think a little more and realize what a great addition roundabouts could be to our area.
I have to agree, a roundabout at this intersection would be a great improvement and make the intersection much safer than the existing intersection geometrics and existing two-stop control.
My My, when do great inprovements not make roads safer?
When poorly designed by cookie cutter DOT drawings for said round-abouts.
Enter State Hwy ’83’ and State Hwy ’59’ intersection in Waukesha County. Too small for turning tractor trailors. Just finished completion year 2011.
Thinking Sate Hwy 45, large trucks, never going to need large load capabilities.
Problem, how to slow traffic to avoid human casalties, make small diameter round-abouts, one kind of goes against the other. Semi’s need larger turning radii, if given that cars can go faster.