Roundabout redo

It was deja vu all over again.

On Tuesday, the Missouri Department of Transportation issued a media release announcing the roundabout at U.S. 61 and Main Street in Perryville, Mo., would be closed next week while crews widened it to accommodate truck traffic.

The roundabout had just opened Nov. 22, but trucks already were getting stuck in there. Some were blowing out tires.

It smacked of the situation in Cape Girardeau in June 2001, when the city widened its new roundabout by 2 feet after trucks had problems navigating the roadway. A plan to have larger vehicles drive up on a brick apron didn't go as well as expected.

Now MoDOT has decided to widen the 18-foot wide concrete driving lane of the Perryville roundabout by as much as 12 feet in some spots so it no longer will be a hazard for large trucks. The addition is called a truck apron and will be 1 1/2 inches to 2 inches higher than the regular driving lane to discourage car drivers from using it as an extra lane.

Cape Girardeau is getting used to its roundabout. Undoubtedly, Perryville drivers will do the same.

In any case, all Missouri drivers will have to, because MoDOT has indicated that roundabouts are on the increase. But we hope those who build them will learn from the practical experience of the Cape Girardeau and Perryville roundabouts.