Uptown Jackson roundabout thriving

Jackson city officials recently cut the ribbon for the new uptown Jackson roundabout.

This was a huge project decades in the making.

The uptown area has for years and years had a traffic problem. The new design definitely offers an improvement to traffic flow through the area.

Some are upset that Washington Street has been cut off, and that's going to cause some inconveniences for local traffic for a while, at least until everyone gets used to the new design. Same goes for working the roundabout in general. It's a little more oblong-shaped than other roundabouts in the area, and this is the first roundabout in the city of Jackson. So there will be adjustments.

But generally, this appears to be a solid solution to the traffic problem in uptown Jackson.

"One of the most gratifying parts of the process has been seeing the public perception of this roundabout change from the project's inception to completion," Jackson public works director Rodney Bollinger wrote in an email. "When the idea of a roundabout was first discussed, initial reaction from many individuals was negative, with some fearful that it would cause increased traffic accidents. However, the reconfiguration of the four-way intersection (previously with stop signs in each direction) into a one-lane roundabout has dramatically reduced the time drivers wait to pass through.

"The response has been excellent. Motorists have not been having to wait there like they used to. We've all traveled back and forth through this intersection during the morning and afternoon peak hour traffic and had to wait our turns at the four-way stop controlled intersection. Now, with the roundabout, it's not more than a few seconds and you're on your way."

Additionally, it looks great. The city paid extra money for the type of stone seen throughout uptown, and decorative fencing was put up in certain areas. Everything looks nice.

A lot of coordination with different groups and institutions went into this project. Businesses were well prepared to handle the construction, and new ones are opening up in the area.

Early indications are that the roundabout project was not just a traffic solution. Good communication between MoDOT, the city of Jackson and business owners made the disruption go about as smoothly as could be hoped.

Congratulations to everyone for surviving the Great Roundabout Project of 2016.