Travelers who use state Route 503 near Rock Creek Road just north of Battle Ground will soon experience a safer roadway that keeps people moving with the addition of a new roundabout.
On July 18, the Washington State Department of Transportation contractor Tapani Inc. began construction of a compact roundabout, also known as a mini roundabout, within the SR 503 and Northeast Rock Creek Road intersection.
After a thorough review of five years of traffic data that showed collisions that produced a fatality, severe injuries and several cases of property damage, this location on SR 503 was identified for improvement using funding specifically targeted for reducing and preventing serious injury and fatal crashes, according to a news release.
According to the release, roundabouts:
• Reduce injury crashes by 75%. Because of their circular shape, they’re designed to control the direction of traffic and reduce travel speeds to between 15 to 20 mph. Roundabouts also prevent T-bone and head-on collisions, the most severe crash types.
• Improve traffic flow by keeping traffic moving in one direction, minimizing stop-and-go situations and improving travel time.
• Are designed for all vehicle types, including emergency vehicles, RVs, buses, farm equipment, trucks with trailers and semi-trucks. The new compact roundabout will ensure all vehicles can move safely and efficiently through the area.
During construction, drivers can expect:
• Intermittent single-lane closures of SR 503 at Rock Creek Road
• Alternating one-way traffic and delays of up to 20 minutes through the construction area when flaggers are present.
• Reduced speeds through the work zone until the project is complete this fall.
Those who use SR 503 can sign up to receive email updates and text alerts at govdelivery.com/accounts/WADOT/subscriber/new about this project, or stay up to date by downloading the WSDOT mobile app, wa.gov/travel/mobile-app-and-social-media.
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