Roundabouts included in proposal for I-90/39 interchange at Racine Street
JANESVILLE — Roundabouts are part of a plan to reconstruct the Racine Street interchange at Interstate 90/39 in 2013.
The work is being done in coordination with the planned Interstate expansion but is a standalone project spurred by safety concerns at the interchange, said Carl Weber, Janesville’s public works director.
The current design does not meet safety standards and does not allow motorists adequate time to merge into traffic.
Work will be completed during the 2013 construction season.
The estimated $13.8 million cost will be paid by the state. The city is expected to pay about $51,450, mostly for additional street lighting.
Weber, who calls the area the city’s prettiest entrance, told city council members at a recent meeting that staff put an emphasis on aesthetics—especially the landscaping inside the two roundabouts to be built at the upper ends of the ramps.
W.W. Grainger has agreed to sponsor the maintenance of the roundabout landscaping for five years, pledging contributions of $5,000 per year, Weber said.
Traffic will continue to flow through the area during construction, but Weber said it might be reduced to a single lane at times.
Planned improvements include:
-- Reconstruction of the interchange.
-- Reconstruction of Racine Street from Palmer Drive to Midland Road.
-- A new overpass just south of the existing structure.
-- Additional street lights.
-- Sidewalk and an extension of the existing multi-purpose trail.
Racine Street from Palmer Drive to Park Place Lane is under the jurisdiction of the city, while Park Place Lane to Midland Road, including the interchange, is the state’s responsibility.
The state will install streetlights in the interchange area east to Midland Road.
City staff suggested the city pay for lights from the interchange to Palmer Drive to replicate existing lighting. The council agreed.
The state will pay to replace traffic lights at Palmer Drive and Racine Street, but the city will pay extra to upgrade the signals to match the lights at Midland Road.
The cost to the city for both improvements will be no more than $51,450, Weber said.
Staff also asked the state to widen the standard sidewalk to be installed on the south side of Racine to a 10-foot multipurpose trail connecting to the existing trail and going east to the St. Mary’s Janesville Hospital entrance.
The city would have preferred trees in the planned median like those on Racine Street now, but the state would not allow trees because the speed limit is 45 mph. So the city requested the state plant groves of trees on the far sides of the sidewalk and trail.
The city will be responsible for maintaining the sidewalk and trail.
Weber said the area is a major gateway to Janesville and the route to such attractions as Palmer Park, Blackhawk Golf Course, Rotary Gardens, the Youth Sports Complex and downtown.
“As a newcomer to Janesville, Racine Street just jumped out to me as being the most beautiful entrance to the city,” Weber said, citing the park along one side and the golf course along the other.
Staff paid special attention to the roundabouts and asked the DOT to upgrade the landscaping. That could include low maintenance trees, junipers and ornamental grasses that the city must agree to maintain. The DOT typically cuts the grass inside roundabouts once a year, Weber said.
“Those areas tend to look pretty straggly,” he said.
He pointed to the roundabouts near Milton at Highway 59 and the planned Highway 26 bypass. They are “totally overgrown,” he said. “It’s not a very attractive entrance.
“What we’ve tried to do is get something that is going to have good appearance, that will look attractive to the public as they’re entering the community but will have minimal requirements and don’t require watering,” he said.
The money donated by W.W. Grainger will be used to hire additional seasonal park staff to help maintain the new landscaping.
“The city is very excited about this opportunity to partner with one of our major businesses in an effort to beautify this major entrance to our city and the east side business park,” Weber said.
Jan 8, 2013 at 7:29 p.m.
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"figure8abouts" LOL Time to get back into the wrecker business!
Jan 8, 2013 at 9:54 a.m.
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janesvillean;
Someone would have to make a wrong right turn at "normal" interchanges to head down an off ramp. With roundabouts, you are ALWAYS exiting to the right, to the right, to the right, to the right. It will confuse people!!!!
Jan 8, 2013 at 8:08 a.m.
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An improvement on roundabouts would be figure8abouts. Figure8abouts would compel people to stop texting and other dangerous activities while driving.
Jan 8, 2013 at 8:07 a.m.
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An improvement on roundabouts would figure8abouts. Figure8abouts would compel people to stop texting and other dangerous activities while driving.
Jan 7, 2013 at 11:23 p.m.
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True, the Avalon Road interchange is one of the best all around on the interstates system in several states. It is simple, it has very long ramp lengths with gentle curves which allow people a long time to get up to highway speed prior to hitting the highway itself. Anyone who thinks Avalon Road is problamatic doesn't get it. They must be one of those "death wish" drivers who hit the Interstate at much less than the speed limit, looking all over to see if it is time for them to give it a little gas. ***holes.
Jan 7, 2013 at 9:30 p.m.
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"The real danger is diamond interchanges such as the one at Avalon Rd. where all turns look exactly the same."
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The Avalon exit is about as simple as you can get. Maybe janesvillan needs glasses and a drivers ed class.
Jan 7, 2013 at 3:05 p.m.
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killngrill, as I pointed out below, to do that you would have to make a turn of greater than 90 degrees -- pretty much the same mistake you would have to make on a cloverleaf interchange today. The real danger is diamond interchanges such as the one at Avalon Rd. where all turns look exactly the same.
Jan 7, 2013 at 2:33 p.m.
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Very poor design!!! It will be only a matter of time before someone turns and heads down the interstate off ramp, thinking it is the way to get on the interstate!!! Aweful design, aweful.
Jan 4, 2013 at 12:14 a.m.
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mouse trying to navigate a roundabout....funny
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v...
Jan 3, 2013 at 11:10 p.m.
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oh if you have a navigational system, forget it! The updates can't keep up with the installation of the stupid roundabouts..."turn left" "recalculating" "at your earliest opportunity, make a u-turn" "recalculating" "turn left"....bahahaha
I call her the "bitch in a bag". Even the "British English" voice can't navigate a roundabout around here. I thought roundabouts were the big thing in the U.K. HAHAHAHA
Jan 3, 2013 at 10:14 p.m.
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Have you even driven in a big city and not sure where to exit and it is rush hour and you just cannot move past 20mph. It is refreshing. You have tinme to decide what to do and what lane to be in vs bumper to bumper moving at 75 mph. It is like that in some round about that have more lanes and more traffic than Menards. Sorry but this one really doesn't count if you ask me.
Jan 3, 2013 at 10:10 p.m.
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mssassy- well said. not often I agree with you. Menards is a breese. Gop to the one near New Berlin I think and this is what you deal with. I had nav but got off anyway and if it wasn't correct I was going to just get back on and try again but it, by chance with nav on. Two double round abouts and double lanes and BUSY noon time rush traffic. There isn't enough time to do all of this.
Jan 3, 2013 at 9:54 a.m.
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"roundabout aprons made for trucks"
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Don't be stupid.......look at the bottom picture in figure 7b and drive a ethanol tanker truck that was only carrying a partial load. Without baffles in the tank, the load shifts, and it is easy to see why the trailer flips over.
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http://www.ite.org/traffic/documents/JB0...
Jan 2, 2013 at 6:52 p.m.
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I never minded roundabouts until I was driving in unfamiliar territory. If it is a "standard" intersection, there is NOT enough time to view the signage, read the street name, (which may be a highway number AND a common city limit street name that is unknown to someone "traveling through"~ ie: Hwy 26 / Milton Ave or Hwy 14 / Old Humes Rd), determine the proper lane and navigate to the proper lane if you are not driving the same route on a regular basis...If they are not large enough, they are MORE dangerous than a 4-way stop. Cloverleaf design or standard merge is actually much easier to navigate, in comparison...
Jan 2, 2013 at 4:17 p.m.
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Roundabouts are fine for small cars -- bad for anything larger. They are really bad for winter travel and nearly impossible to keep clear in a bad snow.
I have driven enough to know that this will not work well for that interchange.
Jan 2, 2013 at 3:44 p.m.
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Roundabouts are a good way to see if someone is following you.
Jan 2, 2013 at 3:21 p.m.
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Remember, it's because of people like you that can't seem to handle a clover leaf is why we have to spend millions so your little prius has time to merge with traffic. Talk about the whiners........
Jan 2, 2013 at 1:40 a.m.
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woody, I may not be an expert, but the ADVANCED-DEGREE-HOLDING ENGINEERS who design roundabouts are. Roundabout aprons are only there for trucks. Thus, roundabouts are designed for trucks. If truck drivers do not know how to use something that is designed for them, well....
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As I have said, truck drivers have to live with many, many types of roads, corners, intersections, driveways, alleys, and so on and so on, few of which were actually designed with trucks in mind. Somehow, though, it's the roundabouts that get the complaints.
Jan 1, 2013 at 4:45 p.m.
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"It seems clear that many truck drivers have not been educated in how to use the apron."
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It seems this person has never drove a large truck but is a self proclaimed expert.
Jan 1, 2013 at 2:47 p.m.
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The Highway 59 roundabouts were built to state and national engineering specifications. Milton asked for them to be changed and the state agreed.
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"Everyone knows" generally means "I have nothing to support this assertion but I will assert it anyway".
Dec 31, 2012 at 10:42 p.m.
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Everyone knows the roundabouts at Milton were too small and that is why they are going to be changed.
Dec 31, 2012 at 6:36 p.m.
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The roundabouts are neither convenient nor safe, but as long as they are 'pretty' we will probably get cursed with them.
Dec 31, 2012 at 5:38 p.m.
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bucky12345, the apron (colored pavement) in the middle is designed for semis and other long vehicles to use. It seems clear that many truck drivers have not been educated in how to use the apron.
http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/safety/roundabou...
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They can in fact do this with ease and without any of the inconvenience to other drivers that would result at a normal 90-degree intersection (where semis often have to "pull wide", i.e. crossing the center line).
http://www.flickr.com/photos/wsdot/46395...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0UcYlTO8...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUuykWghN...
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For decades trucks have had to make turns at urban intersections that were never designed for them. Now you get an intersection specially designed to accommodate very long trucks and everybody complains -- go figure.
Dec 31, 2012 at 5:03 p.m.
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the only scary part of a roundabout is the people that are too dim to figure them out.
Dec 31, 2012 at 1:59 p.m.
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mouse still going round and round and round....
Dec 31, 2012 at 1:58 p.m.
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mouse...it's not surprising you didn't get the humor in bunbun's comment. It seems you are missing many peoples real meanings in their comments. Time for YOU to hang it up???
Dec 31, 2012 at 11:10 a.m.
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I do like the idea of flashing yellow turn. But you are right people don't get it. It means you can turn if it is safe!! duh. Before you would have to wait for the straight ahead green arrow to turn WHEN IT IS SAFE. People still cannot work a 4 way stop.
Dec 31, 2012 at 9:42 a.m.
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Driving with my dad at the roundabout by Menard's we were already in the roundabout and someone was coming from the right. She didn't even stop and look, just pulled out into the roundabout right in front of us. Good thing my dad was driving because I probably would have hit her (he's a slowpoke). Not loving this idea, but the flashing yellow left turn lights by the new clinic are a pain too. Had people pull out right in front of me many times because for some reason that can't read the sign that says they are supposed to yield. People don't seem to understand what yield means anymore. Everybody is in too much of a hurry.
Dec 31, 2012 at 2:18 a.m.
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dal - we already voted it European Socialism, it's called Obamacare and Presidential Directives/Executive Orders.
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I can imagine people driving 10-15 miles to get to an on-ramp that doesn't use roundabouts and getting off the Interstate an exit or two before or past their intended destination to avoid a roundabout.
Dec 30, 2012 at 11:23 p.m.
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Roundabouts will only work when they increase the size of the lanes to make it easy to navigate a semi threw not a bottleneck that screws up traffic and multiple roundabouts is simply ridiculous. This seems to be an engineering fad like cloverleafs were in the 50's. Truth is the simple on and off ramps at most road crossings is all that is needed they all have stop signs at the end of the exit and if needed lights can control the flow at a far lower cost over time.
Dec 30, 2012 at 10:38 p.m.
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bunbun...LOL
Dec 30, 2012 at 9:03 p.m.
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I propose that all roundabouts be replaced with a new figure eight intersection I have designed thanks to funding from auto body shops statewide.
Dec 30, 2012 at 5:46 p.m.
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I believe he was referring to the pleasant boulevard on Racine Street hill, with all the adjacent parkland. It sure beats Milton Avenue.
Dec 30, 2012 at 4:32 p.m.
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You know there's something wrong with your city management when your public works director uses the word 'prettiest' when describing interchanges.
Dec 30, 2012 at 12:01 p.m.
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I like it. Roundabouts are safer and keep traffic flowing, and if you actually take the time to understand them, they're just as easy to navigate as traditional intersections.
Dec 30, 2012 at 11:25 a.m.
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Congradulations Mouse, you did it again. Very impressive comment. Can't wait to read more of them from you. Wow! So insightful.
Dec 30, 2012 at 11:09 a.m.
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yada, that article does not show that roundabouts are more dangerous. It shows that they are often placed in locations with high traffic. The most important reason that roundabouts are safer and have spread worldwide is that they eliminate 24 of 32 conflict points in a standard intersection, and the 8 conflict points that remain are merges that involve small angles with vehicle traveling in the same direction rather than the right angles in a normal intersection, which are the basic cause of the often deadly T-bone crash.
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In other words, they don't eliminate accidents entirely -- that won't happen until we all have Google smart cars. They do significantly reduce the injuries and deaths from accidents on normal residential streets.
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The Federal Highway Administration has access to data from all across the country, and the numbers show very straightforwardly that roundabouts are much, much safer.
http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/intersection/...
Dec 30, 2012 at 10:42 a.m.
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I travel this area daily and I have yet to see traffic problems that warrant roundabouts or any fix at all??? This is a waste of money.
Dec 30, 2012 at 10:16 a.m.
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I'd rather import European Socialism than European Roundabouts.
Dec 30, 2012 at 8:51 a.m.
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There is nothing inherently bad with round abouts that, in fact, IMPROVE safety and keep traffic moving more smoothly. The REAL problem is those who do not bother to take the time to learn the rules of the road regarding roundabouts (yield upon entering, stay toward inside until approaching your turn off, SIGNAL, etc.)
Dec 30, 2012 at 6:19 a.m.
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http://www.newberlinnow.com/news/5660706...
Dec 30, 2012 at 5:05 a.m.
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SwissChick, to get onto the Interstate going the wrong way, you would need to negotiate an acute right turn greater than 90 degrees. This is the exact same risk as in the cloverleaf design.
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Most residential roundabouts have a "Y" configuration so people can enter and exit the roundabout using the same street. This is a one-way roundabout in terms of the ramps, so only half of the "Y" will be built.
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Where people get on Interstates going the wrong way is almost always a diamond interchange with a standard intersection, like Avalon Rd. The recent incident in Milwaukee involved an exit ramp next to a "T" intersection that looks almost identical to an entrance ramp one block away.
Dec 30, 2012 at 12:08 a.m.
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Another waste of money The worthless roundabouts are a death trap waiting to happen.
Dec 29, 2012 at 11:44 p.m.
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Hey, more places to roll over semis! Good thing St Mary's is close by!
Dec 29, 2012 at 11:07 p.m.
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Good. It will be better than the entrance that is there now.
Dec 29, 2012 at 11:05 p.m.
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Whatever is done to this exchange is an improvement over what is there now. Looking forward to it.
Dec 29, 2012 at 10:12 p.m.
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Good thing there is a hospital near by. "Safety standards"... who makes these up? They really think roundabouts are safer?
Dec 29, 2012 at 9:25 p.m.
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Hate these roundabouts!
Dec 29, 2012 at 6:13 p.m.
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and nothing says "attractive" like pretty red and blue lights of law enforcement and ambulances after the crashes....
Dec 29, 2012 at 5:34 p.m.
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For some reason, afterlooking at the proposed roundabouts, I can see somebody taking a wrong right turn and end up going on the wrong way on the interstate. With a clover leaf, I would think it would be harder to end up going the wrong way like enough stories you hear about. JMHO.
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