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01/14/2019 11:00 PMThe Connecticut Department of Transportation (DOT) is considering a plan to turn the intersection at Route 1 and Route 22 near the Branford/Guilford line into a roundabout. DOT officials have said the change would improve traffic flow and safety, but some business owners in the area recently expressed concern that a roundabout might be too great a change.
Roughly 30 residents attended a public information session on the potential change at Guilford Fire Headquarters on Jan. 10. DOT officials explained details of the project that would convert the current T-intersection into a three-legged roundabout complete with a raised center island, raised splitter islands, and a truck apron. The plan also includes the addition of sidewalks to the outer edge of the roundabout as well as splitter island refuge areas and marked crosswalks.
DOT Project Engineer Justin Giorlando said the DOT is looking to install a roundabout rather than a signal light because he said a signal light, which would stop the free-flow of traffic on Route 1, could just cause more congestion.
“Connecticut is really getting into the roundabouts, primarily for the safety and congestion relief that has been proven,” he said. “…Roundabouts are better than signals for the safety of everyone involved, so that is the project we wanted to push forward.”
Officials also pointed out that in the last three years, there have been 20 crashes at that intersection and a fair number of right-angle crashes from people trying to cross two lanes of traffic trying to get onto Route 1 from Route 22.
This roundabout would be the first on Route 1. Giorlando said based on data from other roundabouts in the state, this option should reduce accidents. He said the design of the roundabout forces drivers to slow down to speeds of about 25 miles per hour, rather than the 50 miles per hour people usually go on Route 1.
“We looked at our intersections and we had a reduction of severe crashes by 81 percent with these roundabouts installed and overall crashes by almost half,” he said.
Based on the initial designs, changes involving drainage and the addition of sidewalks that extend beyond the current state right-of-way. Temporary construction easements will be needed before work can begin.
The goal now is to have the project begin in spring 2020, but the start date depends on funding. The project is anticipated to cost $3.3 million with 80 percent of the project federally funded and the remaining 20 percent covered through state funds.
“The plan is to have the design finished by next February and then go through the contracts and bidding and then have construction start in April 2020,” Giorlando said. “We would complete it in one construction season and be done that fall.”
The timeline for construction raised some concerns. Representatives from Country Farms located on Route 1 in Guilford said a spring/summer construction is their peak season as well. In addition, Bill Miller’s Castle principals said that changing the sightlines at that intersection could be a problem.
“We have been there for over 50 years so we have been looking at that intersection forever. It has gotten worse over the years, but it’s no worse than Route 139 coming down and they have a light there,” said owner Lisa Miller. “It just seems like a little overkill for the area since there are hardly any pedestrians and there is no one with a baby carriage going across that street as far as I know.”
Miller also said that residents are not used to roundabouts, which could cause its own set of problems.
“People freak out when they get to a roundabout. I mean they really do, because they don’t know how to use them,” she said. “To me that is more confusing than stopping at a light and making a turn.”
The DOT is still in the planning stage of the process and soliciting public input. For more information, visit the DOT website at www.ct.gov/dot.