SEQUIM — Construction began Monday on Sequim’s three main roundabouts to add increased safety features but no functional changes, according to City Hall.
The project will repaint street stripes and add speed bumps in the interior circle to deter drivers from using it as a short cut.
It also will replace raised traffic dots on the perimeter of the traffic circles on Washington Street and Sequim Avenue.
“People often drive through the center circle of the roundabouts, and that is not how they are designed to be used,” said Mike Brandt, Sequim city streets manager.
“The double row of buttons on the exterior of the circle serve the same purpose as a double yellow line on a street. Drivers are not supposed to cross over them.
“If they do, the speed bumps will slow them down and remind them to drive around the circle,” Brandt said.
The interior lanes are meant to allow larger trucks room to maneuver through the traffic circles, he said.
On Monday, crews began work on the roundabout at Sequim Avenue and Old Olympic Highway.
Work will begin later on the roundabouts at Washington Street and Ninth Avenue near Costco Wholesale and at Washington Street and River Road in front of Walmart.
Mid-October
The work is expected to be complete by mid-October, depending on weather conditions.
“This is a safety issue,” Brandt said.
Drivers should be aware that larger vehicles often make wider turns, and they should be cautious when such vehicles are approaching or are already in the roundabout, Brandt warned.
Traffic should not enter the roundabout when there is an emergency vehicle approaching from another direction, and traffic already inside the circle should clear the circle, he said.
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Reporter Arwyn Rice can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5070, or at arwyn.rice@
peninsuladailynews.com.
