ROUNDABOUT

ROUNDABOUT. A roundabout is a type of circular intersection or junction in which road traffic flows almost continuously in one direction around a central island. So-called "modern" roundabouts require entering traffic to give way to traffic already in the circle and optimally observe various design rules to increase safety. (1)

In August 2014 Dubuque came closer to having its first roundabout when the city council voted 7-0 to approve an application for a $500,000 Traffic Safety Improvement Grant from the Iowa Department of Transportation. If granted, the funds would be used to change the five-way intersection of North Grandview Avenue, Delhi and Grace STREETS. (2)

In March 2015 it was announced that the $500,000 request had been approved and that work would probably begin in 2016. To install the roundabout and not acquire any of the adjacent private properties a single-lane roundabout would used. An estimated 19,000 vehicles travel daily through the intersection. (3)

The city announced that it would start the process to select a design consultant. This came after the city council in May voted to approve a funding agreement with the Iowa Department of Transportation that included a $500,000 traffic safety grant for the project. The city would bear the remaining $200,000 of the project which was planned for construction during the summer of 2016. (4) In addition to the North Grandview roundabout, others were planned for intersections on University Avenue--at Loras Blvd., Asbury Road, and at Pennsylvania Avenue. (5)

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Source:

1. "Roundabout." Wikipedia. Online: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roundabout

2. "August," Chronology 2014, Telegraph Herald, January 1, 2015, p. 13

3. Jacobson, Ben. "Improving City Traffic in a Roundabout Way," Telegraph Herald, March 14, 2015, p. 1

4. Yager, Alicia. "Roundabout Plan Drives Toward New Phase," Telegraph Herald, May 23, 2015. p. 1

5. Ibid., p. 2