Circling back: Wisconsin roundabouts
still delivering two years later
W
hen three roundabouts were proposed on
a 1.5-mile segment of State Highway 33 in
Ozaukee County, Wisconsin, area residents were
apprehensive about just how well that type of intersection
would work. But after two years of service, “we’ve had
the best kind of reaction, which is really no reaction at
all,” says Rob Vanden Noven, director of public works and
city engineer for the City of Port Washington. People are
driving the roundabouts without incident, and the facilities
are doing what they were intended to do – move vehicles
safely and smoothly through the intersections without
impeding access to local businesses.
This segment of State Highway 33 was previously an
unattractive two-lane highway that was also inhospitable
to pedestrians and bicyclists. More than 10,000 vehicles
daily travel the road, which is the main thoroughfare
for commuters and visitors accessing the City of Port
Washington and Village of Saukville from Interstate 43. The
project corridor ranges from heavy commercial districts
to residential neighborhoods to farmland. In addition,
existing ramps at the grade-separated interchange of State
Highway 33 and County Highway “LL” leading into Port
Washington prevented development of otherwise valuable
commercial real estate.
that businesses, driveways, and parking lots were right
next to State Highway 33, and selecting a conventional
signalized intersection with accompanying turn lanes
would have resulted in a huge intersection footprint.
The real estate impacts were significantly less with
roundabouts.
The roundabouts work better for pedestrians and
bicyclists, too. Vanden Noven said the roadway in Port
Washington now includes a 10-foot-wide multi-use trail on
one side and a 5-foot sidewalk on the other.
“Port Washington stresses the importance of pedestrian
accessibility and community walkability,” he said. “Traffic
comes down a hill to enter the city, and the roundabout
forces them to slow down to the 25 mph speed limit. We
feel that a traffic signal would have produced the opposite
effect, with motorists speeding up for a stale green or
yellow light.”
Roundabouts weren’t the only change. Ayres Associates
led the design team that transformed the roadway: The
old two-lane highway is now a four-lane urban road with
turn lanes for major side roads. Valuable land is available
for development; three traffic signal intersections were
improved; power lines are now invisible underground;
and a raised median adds beauty through landscaping and
decorative lighting.
Ayres Associates led the design development and public
involvement process for the road reconstruction, which
involved looking at a variety of possible improvements.
Gary Metzer, project manager in the Wisconsin
Department of Transportation’s Southeast Region, noted
Left: The roundabout at the entrance to Port Washington
forces traffic to slow down to the 25 mph speed limit, making
the intersection safer for pedestrians and bicyclists.
Right: The series of three roundabouts between Port
Washington and Saukville keep traffic moving without
encroaching on valuable real estate. The two shown here are
in Saukville.
10│ TRENDS
And those who were skeptical about roundabouts? Both
Metzer and Vanden Noven said they’ve heard people
comment that once they drive a roundabout a couple
times, it’s easy to navigate. “Now it’s comfortable,” Metzer
said.
“Ayres Associates delivered a roundabout design that met
every promise that was made prior to construction. We’re
very happy with it,” Vanden Noven said.
— Wendy Kinderman