Two roundabouts are planned for Highway 20 in Port Townsend — at Discovery Road and Kearney Street — and the Washington State Department of Transportation has started an online open house for people to learn about the road improvements and provide comments.

WSDOT officials said the roundabouts are needed to replace outdated traffic signals on the highway, which have reached the end of their useful life. Comments on the roundabout proposal will be accepted through noon Monday, Nov. 2.

After evaluating the intersections, WSDOT traffic engineers have recommended “compact roundabouts,” which they say will improve mobility for all travelers, plus improve safety and reduce annual maintenance costs.

The existing traffic signals cost an average of $10,000 annually to maintain, according to WSDOT.

“Community input is imperative to the pre-design process,” said WSDOT Multimodal Planning Manager Dennis Engel. “It helps us better understand the needs of the community, while balancing the responsibility we have to maintain these intersections for all roadway users.”

Comments will also be accepted by email, phone or letter to Debbie Clemen with WSDOT’s Olympic Region Multimodal Planning office. Email debbie.clemen@wsdot.wa.gov, or send correspondence to PO Box 47440, Olympia, WA 98504-7440.

To request a copy of the intersection evaluation report, call 360-570-6600.