ADOT awarded a $10-million construction project to S.J. Louis Construction to install five roundabouts, new box culvert extensions and new pavement. Work began in early February 2008 when utility companies began relocating lines, and crews began clearing brush and rock.
The project will extend from the cement plant entrance road to Black Hills Drive. It will take approximately one year to complete.
The roundabouts for this project were designed to handle large trucks with wheel bases of 67-feet, as well as automobiles and pedestrian traffic. Statistically, when compared to signals, roundabouts improve capacity by 30-50 percent, reduce injury accidents by 80 percent, and reduce fatalities by 90 percent.
One of the purposes of roundabouts is to provide safe u-turns, which some signals do not. In addition to increasing safety, roundabouts are very effective in keeping traffic flowing.
These roundabouts will also have safety features for pedestrians where they will only have to cross one direction of traffic at a time. Studies have shown that roundabouts reduce pedestrian/vehicle conflicts by 66 percent.
Included in the construction will be five roundabouts at the intersections of SR 89A and Cement Plant Road, Avienda, Lincoln, Groseta Ranch and Black Hills Drive.
With Mingus Mountain looking on, the new roundabout
near Clarkdale Parkway takes shape last Fall
When finished, the roadway will be two lanes in each direction with a center median. Construction on the roadway will begin at the cement plant portion of SR 89A, and progress to the south toward Black Hills Drive.
Feel free to contact the project team with questions and concerns at the project hotline at 1.800.340.5240.
