Page 11 - Chehalis Tribal Newsletter - February, 2018

11

WSDOT plans

Highway 12

roundabouts

Contributed by Bryan Sanders,
Transportation Planner

Washington State Department
of Transportation plans to begin
construction of two roundabouts on
Highway 12, one at Anderson Road and
one at Moon Road.
WSDOT will start the project early
next year and anticipates finishing
construction in the fall of 2019.
This topic
has raised
sss
questions and
concerns from
CONTACT US the community.
For more details Here are
or questions, answers to
please reach out some of the
to Transportation most frequent
Planner Bryan questions:
What
Sanders at prompted
bryan.sanders@ the change?
chehalistribe. WSDOT’s
org.
main focus
is safety.
Anderson Road
and Moon Road both have a significant
number of accidents, including fatalities
in recent years. This project is designed by 75 percent and reduced Roundabouts also are more Above are the
to make the stretch of Highway 12 safer fatality collisions by 90 percent. effective during power outages. visualizations
for all travelers. Roundabouts virtually eliminate Is the tribe involved in of the WSDOT
How long will the project take? the possibility of T-bone or design of the roundabouts? roundabouts
The project will kick off March of head-on collisions. Yes, we are working with planned at
2019 and finish a few months later in They are less expensive. WSDOT to ensure the tribe is Anderson Road
October. Roundabouts eliminate represented and it is clear drivers and Moon Road
Where is funding coming from? hardware, maintenance and have entered the territory of on Highway 12.
WSDOT is funding the project. The electrical costs associated with the Confederated Tribes of the
tribe is not responsible for construction traffic signals. Chehalis Reservation.
costs of the project.
Will large trucks be able to use the
roundabouts?
Yes. The roundabouts are designed SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITY
to accommodate vehicles of all sizes,
including emergency vehicles, buses,
farm equipment and semi-trucks with This year, the Washington Indian Gaming Association
trailers. will award up to $100,000 to native students in the
Why roundabouts instead of state. The scholarship may be used to attend two-year
stoplights? or four-year colleges and universities and for advanced
Studies have shown that degrees. Scholarship recipients from the previous year
roundabouts are safer than traditional are eligible to re-apply under a reduced format.
stop signs or signal-controlled
intersections. Where stop signs or TO APPLY: Email Janet Stegall at jstegall@chehalistribe.org
signals previously were used for
traffic control at intersections, putting
roundabouts in reduced injury crashes