Cape moves ahead with roundabout, says benefits outweigh cost

The construction of another roundabout in Cape Girardeau will cost significantly more than installing traffic signals, but will allow for better traffic flow and lead to fewer serious accidents, city officials say.

The city plans to build a roundabout at the Independence Street and Gordonville Road/East Rodney Drive intersection to alleviate traffic congestion. The intersection currently is a four-way stop.

City engineer Casey Brunke estimated the roundabout could cost $600,000 or $700,000, compared to $250,000 for the installation of traffic lights. But Brunke said the city will have lower maintenance costs and improved traffic safety with a roundabout.

"If you have an accident in a roundabout, it is usually very minor," she said.

A roundabout also allows for smoother traffic flow, she said.

Brunke said the city will have to pay only 20 percent of the project's cost. Funding from the Missouri Department of Transportation will cover the other 80 percent.

The roundabout project, scheduled to begin this spring, also has sparked plans for the city to build a new parking lot for the National Guard Armory that sits on the northeast corner of the intersection.

Brunke said Friday the new roundabout will extend onto the site of the Armory's existing parking lot along East Rodney Drive.

"Actually, the parking lot is on city right of way," she said.

The city plans to build a new paved parking lot for the Armory. The new lot will be farther back from the intersection and will be done as a separate project.

Brunke said the city has no cost estimate yet for the parking-lot work.

Sgt. 1st Class Daniel Schaab, who manages the Armory, said the roundabout would eliminate about 10 parking spaces. The new, paved lot would have 70 parking spaces. Coupled with the existing parking area, the Armory would end up with about 120 parking spaces, or about double the current capacity.

"It will be great," Schaab said, noting parking long has been an issue at the Armory. "We have over 200 people that drill here."

Schaab said Guardsmen will assist with the project by preparing the site for construction. But he added the city will be responsible for the construction of the roundabout, which could occur this summer.

As for the roundabout, Brunke said the city plans to bid out the project in March. Construction could begin in May, she said.

Brunke and Mayor Harry Rediger said the goal is to complete the project before the start of the SEMO District Fair in September. The annual fair takes place at Arena Park, down the road from the intersection.

Rediger said the project could take three to four months. The mayor welcomes the project, even though it will post an inconvenience for motorists during its construction.

The intersection sees a lot of traffic. About 12,000 vehicles a day travel on Independence between Gordonville Road and Kingshighway, according to a recent traffic study.

"The traffic backs up a lot," Rediger said. The roundabout will move traffic better, he said.

City officials said the roundabout would have a diameter of about 135 feet, comparable to the roundabout at Fountain and Morgan Oak streets. Brunke said it likely will have decorative rock in the center. In the future, public art might be added in the middle, she said.

The roundabout will be built slightly southeast of the existing intersection. Brunke said the east side of the Independence Street intersection, which slopes downward, will be raised about 5 feet.

mbliss@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3641

Pertinent address:

Intersection of Gordonville Road, East Rodney Drive and Independence Street