# Round-abouts...coming to a city near you......



## TMatt142 (Apr 28, 2006)

Hey guys! New project I started has with it the newest "fad" here in MN.. Project consists of 1.4 miles of roadway with three round-abouts. Actually two "round" abouts..the other is more egg shaped. Specs said we had to build these round-abouts while keeping it open to traffic....Fat chance of doing that so right now we are building a bypass the whole length of the job so we can build these things in one shot with minimizing how many times we have to have the concrete crew in to pour C&G. There is also around 5000 feet of storm sewer that is anywhere from 9-18 feet deep. 600 or so feet of watermain. Two ponds to dig, one is close to 800ft in length and a few city streets to reclaim, install new driveway culverts, and reshape the ditches. Gona be a fun job! Hopefully I can get some action shots up here for everyone....


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## denick (Feb 13, 2006)

Matt,

It's been a while. I was beginning to think you moved back to St Louis! I'm glad to see work has picked up.


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## TMatt142 (Apr 28, 2006)

You need not worry EVER about me moving back to STL........


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## firemike (Dec 11, 2005)

> *Round-abouts...coming to a city near you......*


Yeah, their popping up all over around Metro Detroit. 5 new ones that I know of in the last few months, and more to come I guess. Funny thing is, traffic accidents are up over twice the amount there was at the same intersection before the round-about was put in. Seems like they take up a lot more real estate than a standard intersection...


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## leadarrows (May 26, 2004)

I would get the boot from this site if I stated what I think of them. They make them go slightly left then right here and they are not big enough to get a truck and trailer around them while staying in your lane. Black marks all over the curbs and side walks where everyone has to hop the curb to get around. Big game of chicken every time two cars get there at the same time. 
Worst idea of it's kind I have ever seen. There a bad joke.


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## TMatt142 (Apr 28, 2006)

I agree......They just finished one on another job a few miles from our project...70 accidents in the 2 or so weeks since they opened it. Really, they aren't all that bad once people figure out to stay to the right (you would assume being in America, they knew that anyways). I don't mind them driving-wise, but engineers being the brilliant ones they usually are want you to build them under traffic. Now THAT is damn near impossible especially on one such as ours which are only one lane round-abouts. They piss and moan at the costs of building bypasses for the traffic while you build them......Makes for good times!


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## buildenterprise (Dec 4, 2007)

Jersey was the last state to have "traffic circles", and we've just about gotten rid of all of them! I can't believe they're actually making a comeback!


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## nap (Jan 27, 2008)

dang guy, the midwest is so far behind the rest of the world, they just put 3 in a local city. There was one already as well. Now they are talking about putting in 3 or 4 more in another area.

I hate 'em. I have had more near crash situations in those damn things and have had people stop right in front of me before entering one because they did not understand what was going on with the thing.

I love the signs on a couple of them. It says: do not drive beside trucks when in the roundabout. You see, when a semi goes through those things, although they are 2 lane roundaboouts, the swing across on the trucks will wipe out a car on the inner lane.

I wonder what the idiot engineer was thinking.


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## PSDF350 (Sep 7, 2004)

There were 2 built in keene nh that have become known as worst road in town. There is at least 1 accident a day at them. I will admit though there is less congestion.


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## skymaster (Oct 23, 2006)

ROFLMAO Jersey still has a few, one right here in Netcong. I am laffin cause my TOM TOM calls them ROUND ABOUTS!!!!!!!!!! LOL LOL:laughing::thumbup:


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## Sportbilly (Oct 4, 2006)

I actually like 'em. It's all a matter of education. I've seen them in other countries where they've been using them for decades, smooth flow of traffic, no accidents.

Maybe they're just too hard for us Americans to work out, I don't think so, but yes, there is a learning curve (no pun intended lol)


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## Blas (Jan 29, 2008)

We have one down here near Prior Lake. and one in New Praugue. Where is your project?


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## LNG24 (Oct 30, 2005)

They made a come back here in NY too. I saw them building the first one in 2003ish and this year that added a whole bunch of them in front of Vasser College at every intersection. For the record, the last ones here are interesting because they actually took into account long vehicles. Regular traffic goes around the circle and they used brick paver's so trucks can run up over the gentle curb.


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## silvertree (Jul 22, 2007)

Loved those things back in my pass the J days. Drove around the one in Buzzards Bay laughing like hyenas. I think they make sense.


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## leadarrows (May 26, 2004)

Someone drove right through the middle of one I noticed today, Right over trees bushes flowers. Lots of rain here lately left deep ruts as well. 

No it wasn't me.....I did laugh about it though.....dose that make me bad? lol


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## TMatt142 (Apr 28, 2006)

Blas said:


> We have one down here near Prior Lake. and one in New Praugue. Where is your project?


Hey Blas! Yeah, the project is located in Lakeland, south of Stillwater/I-94. County Rd 18 or "old" 95. Pretty decent project except for some reason the storm sewer is damn deep! Set a MH today, 20ft in depth from existing road grade....Wasn't pretty!


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## concretemasonry (Dec 1, 2006)

Matt -

With the strange geology and the rock there are some very strange things required in that area.

Just moving 20 or 100 feet horizontally can make a big difference as you see from the gravel deposits and sheer rock outcropings along the river. There is always the problem of keeping the pipe slopes betweens the minimums and maximums that may be controlled by upstream topography.- At least it is good viewing, fishing and boating with good water nearby.


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## TMatt142 (Apr 28, 2006)

So far....the entire project is nothing but one big pit!!! Very coarse sand throughout the job down to about 10 ft. After that very nice select granular....


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## RCPainting (Jan 29, 2006)

We have one here, one side of freeway has a truck stop, the other has a Super Walmart, it is a nightmare!


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## bob_cntrctr (Jan 30, 2008)

Yes, roundabouts are very common in Europe. And they're part of the reason for the stereotypical agressive European driver.

A regular intersection with lights or a 4-way stop creates a very clearly defined order. You go when your light is green, or it's first to the stop, or guy on the right. Easy, clear.

A roundabout shifts the decision making to the driver. Maybe you have time to squeeze in before that next guy arrives..and that 'maybe' gets shorter and shorter because there's no hard stop, no actual rule... Roundabouts, by their very design, encourage aggressive driving and cutting it closer and closer...


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## BattleRidge (Feb 9, 2008)

we have gotten about 6 new ones in our town in the last 2 years, I agree they are too tight to pull my flatbed around without going on the sidewalk.


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