AGENDA #5a
MEMORANDUM
TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM: W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager
SUBJECT: Report on the Feasibility of Installing a Roundabout at the US 15-501/Erwin Road/Europa Drive Intersection
DATE: January 24, 2000
The following report discusses the conclusion of the North Carolina Department of Transportation that the feasibility of installing a roundabout at the US 15-501/Erwin Road/Europa Drive intersection in Chapel Hill would be impractical.
Following discussion of various transportation issues during its October 11, 1999 meeting, the Council directed the Manager to inquire whether the North Carolina Department of Transportation would consider the installation of a roundabout at the US 15-501/Erwin Road/Europa Drive intersection as a traffic management device.
The North Carolina Department of Transportation is currently researching and evaluating the use of roundabouts throughout the State. It is in the process of developing roundabout designs and determining potential installation locations. We requested that the State evaluate the feasibility of constructing a roundabout at the US 15-501/Erwin Road/Europa Drive intersection in Chapel Hill.
Following its evaluation, the State advised us that a roundabout would not be feasible at this location. Based on the State’s analysis of existing traffic volumes, a roundabout installed at this location would function at a level of service F during the peak periods, resulting in gridlock conditions. Also, a roundabout installation would create problems on the service roads adjacent to US 15-501, which are the primary means of access for businesses and residences in the vicinity of the intersection. Queue lengths on Erwin Road and Europa Drive would block access to the service roads. The State is also concerned that a roundabout installed at this intersection would impact the coordination of signal timings on the US 15-501 corridor, creating additional congestion at other locations.
The US 15-501/Erwin Road/Europa Drive intersection is currently on the State Transportation Improvement Program list (Project # U-4008). The improvements at this intersection would include: adding an additional left turn lane for traffic traveling from US 15-501 northbound onto Erwin Road; widening Erwin Road to a planned point northwest of the intersection to receive the dual left turning traffic; and relocating the south approach of Dobbins Road farther away from the US 15-501/Erwin Road/Europa Drive intersection. It is anticipated that this project could begin construction in fiscal year 2002.
We are presently working with the State to determine if innovative improvement alternatives other than roundabouts could be useful in managing traffic at this difficult intersection.
The North Carolina Department of Transportation has concluded that the installation of a roundabout would be impractical as a method of managing traffic at the US 15-501/Erwin Road/Europa Drive intersection. We will continue working with the State to identify and implement other improvement alternatives at this intersection, and we will keep the Council informed of our progress.