Pueblo officials change roundabout strategy, will emphasize intersection improvements
Scott Harrison
PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) — City leaders have revealed that they will build only three of the five planned roundabouts featured in coverage by KRDO 13’s The Road Warrior last year.
Two reasons for the change: The traffic circles are expensive — up to $1 million each — and officials decided that they could stretch their funding and be more efficient by focusing on intersection upgrades.
Andrew Hayes, the city’s former public works director, who recently moved into economic development, elaborated on the new strategy.
“We’re going to be looking at some signal improvements and lane improvements, rather than the roundabouts,” he said. “The roundabouts take up a lot more space. And so, in some of those cases, we just end up taking too much property from adjacent property owners, and not necessarily get the full benefit we want to see out there.”
It’s the city’s effort to reduce crashes and slow traffic at busy intersections.
“It could be anything from simple things like signal timing adjustments to lane improvements, or striping or signage changes,” Hayes explained. “All kinds of different things could be on the table to fix those issues.”
The city finished construction of a roundabout last fall at the intersection of Jackson Street and West Adams Avenue.
Design work is nearly finished for a roundabout at Dillon Drive and Eagleridge Boulevard, a heavily-traveled area between Interstate 25 and a Walmart.
Construction should start soon on a roundabout at Berkley and West Mesa avenues.
The two roundabouts that won’t be built are at 13th Street and Grand Avenue, between downtown and I-25; and Lake and Orman avenues, a popular route between the freeway, downtown, and the Colorado State Fairgrounds.
City officials have completed a citywide study of all city intersections — including some in Pueblo County — and have created a list of potential safety projects.
The public can see the study results and provide feedback at a public meeting on July 9, between 3:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. at the Sangre De Cristo Arts Center, 210 North Santa Fe Avenue.