Roundabout considered for N. College and Castle Hayne roads

Source: Star-News, Wilmington, N.迷你倉沙田C.Aug. 01--After years of going around and around with the idea, the N.C. Department of Transportation in 2010 installed roundabouts in Middle Sound and Porters Neck.The move came after officials weighed the economic and traffic benefits against the potential driver confusion from coming across a traffic design that's still relatively rare on this side of the Atlantic.But today, as another roundabout is on the drawing board for northern New Hanover County to replace the confusing and sometimes dangerous junction of North College and Castle Hayne roads, officials and residents are singing the praises of the traffic-calming devices."Initially, people weren't excited about it," admitted Pam Latter, president of the Plantation Landing Homeowners Association in Porters Neck. "But in time, everyone has embraced it and are enjoying it, and people are slowing down. The bottom line is it's a good thing because it slows the traffic down and makes people pay attention a little more."Transportation officials say roundabouts, also commonly called traffic circles, offer several advantages over signalized intersections. They include lower maintenance costs and a design that naturally allows a constant flow of traffic that also increases an intersection's capacity.A Federal Highway Administration study last decade also found that because of fewer "conflict" points they improve safety, resulting in a 35 percent reduction in collisions and a 90 percent drop in fatalities.Learning curveBut turning right even when you're trying to go left doesn't come naturally to many drivers.That fear was raised again and again by residents of Middle Sound and Porters Neck when the DOT proposed roundabouts for their neighborhoods.The first DOT roundabout was built at the intersection of Shiraz Way and Porters Neck and Edgewater Club roads. It was quickly followed by the Middle Sound roundabout at the busy intersection in front of Ogden Elementary School.Donnie Hall, chief of New Hanover County Fire Services, said he doesn't remember any major incidents at either roundabout -- beyond initial driver confusion and some subsequent fender benders when they were first installed."They're much safer," he said of the traffic circles compared to a signalized intersection or one with a stop sign. "And once you learn it and respect it, you're all good."In Porters Neck, the community also is working on sprucing up its roundabout."For every visitor, every individual that comes to Porters Neck, it sets a tone for the area," said Erica迷你倉價錢Haines, president of the Greater Porters Neck Area Foundation, which is leading the effort to maintain the roundabout's middle "island" landscaping. "It's like a gateway, and we want it to look attractive."The Middle Sound roundabout has even helped with the notoriously traffic that formerly grid-locked Middle Sound Loop Road during the start of school at Ogden Elementary.Principal Tammy Bruestle said she initially thought the roundabout would be an inconvenience.But she said in an email that the traffic circle has been great, allowing more students to get to school on time and improving the traffic flow through the busy intersection -- which in turn has reduced the stress on parents.'Peanut' roundaboutThe planned roundabout in Castle Hayne, however, will be a different animal.First, the roadways -- North College and Castle Hayne -- are much busier. More than 16,000 vehicles a day travel Castle Hayne Road just north of the intersection. The roads also carry N.C. 132, N.C. 133 and U.S. 117, meaning more truck and non-local traffic will have to traverse the traffic circle.Patrick Riddle, planning engineer for the Wilmington area's DOT division, said the intersection area also includes more access points -- including driveways to private homes, roads to subdivision and the entrance to the Castle Hayne Volunteer Fire Department."You've got to spread it out a little bit more than what a normal circular roundabout could accommodate," he said. "So it's going to be stretched a little bit more, like an oval, and then pinched in at the sides."Riddle joked that the roundabout will end up resembling a giant peanut. But even if it does look a little different, he added, it will serve the same functions as a regular roundabout -- to keep traffic flowing in a safe and consistent manner.And the idea of roundabouts seems to be growing in the Cape Fear region. Officials in Burgaw, Sunset Beach and Surf City have talked about them for their towns. They would join traffic circles that were installed in recent years by the DOT in Ocean Isle Beach and Southport. (The traffic circles in Mayfaire were privately built.)"In many cases, they just make a lot of sense for many reasons," Riddle said.The estimated $1.2 million Castle Hayne project is scheduled to be put out to contract in February, with construction also starting next year.Gareth McGrath: 343-2384On Twitter: @Gman2000Copyright: ___ (c)2013 the Star-News (Wilmington, N.C.) Visit the Star-News (Wilmington, N.C.) at .starnewsonline.com Distributed by MCT Information Services迷你倉庫