WSDOT: Roundabout at Hood Canal a response to crash statistics

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Amid the debate over Washington State Department of Transportation’s determination to build two highway roundabouts, data confirms one concern of Olympic Peninsula drivers: it’s dangerous to cross high-speed lanes to turn left onto state Route 104.

A formal evaluation of crash data, completed in February, shows that 90% of the 26 total crashes from 2009 through 2015 at the SR 104/Paradise Bay/Shine Road intersection were “entering-at-angle-type crashes.” In other words, people getting hit in the high-speed traffic of either the westbound or eastbound lanes.

“We understand the concerns the community has about being new to roundabouts, and wanting more resources dedicated to building an overpass or underpass at this location,” said Tina Werner, of Olympic Region Communications for WSDOT. “However, that won’t address the collisions we are seeing. We have an obligation to improve safety and reduce the severity of collisions at this site, and that is exactly what we aim to address through this project.”

The 2009-15 crash history included two with serious injuries and 24 non-serious crashes.

Since 2016, the report noted there had been four more crashes, with two of the four incurring serious injuries, while three of the four crashes were entering-at-angle crashes.

Beaver Valley Road is the other intersection where the state intends to add a roundabout.

“The roundabout alternative will potentially eliminate all of the entering-at-angle crashes, and significantly reduce severity of crashes relative to the signal alternative,” the February report read. “Given the safety performance of the existing minor-street stop control, maintaining the existing control is not considered as an alternative for the project.”

The report weighed the merits of a single-lane roundabout against a signalized intersection.

While a signalized intersection was likely to have a smaller footprint than that of a roundabout, and therefore have minimal to no right-of-way needs, one concern was the potential for rear-end collisions, generated by a stopped line of vehicles resulting from the signal.

“Another safety concern with a signal is the potential for red-light running,” the report read.

By contrast, the same report cited an operational analysis showing that a roundabout would out-perform a signalized intersection during the intersection’s afternoon peak hours.

Although the report acknowledges that “it may be difficult for traffic on Paradise Bay Road and Shine Road to enter westbound SR 104 due to gap availability” with a roundabout, the WSDOT-proposed solution was to install a metered entrance on a single-lane roundabout, given that metered entrances are endorsed by the Federal Highway Administration in its roundabout guide.

As for the alternatives proposed by attendees of WSDOT’s Aug. 29 community meeting in Quilcene, Werner reiterated the message of WSDOT Region Administrator John Wynands, who had noted the agency’s relative lack of funds in spite of Washington state’s gas tax, which he conceded is one of the most expensive in the nation.

“Simply put, other capacity improvements, such as widening or expanding the highway, are not feasible at this time, due to funding limitations allocated to us by the Washington State Legislature,” Werner said.

Werner encouraged the public to learn more details online at www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects/sr104/paradise-bay-shine-road/home.