Published: October 31, 2009 11:03 pm      

A circular plan

Locals object to proposed roundabout on Chase Road

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K-T file photo

AROUND THE CIRCLE: E&B Construction crews, shown in this September 2005 file photo, complete concrete work on a roundabout at Webster Street and Center Road on Kokomo’s south side.



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WILL BE DEMOLISHED: This Davis Road house, sitting at the end of Chase Road, will be torn down to make room for the road widening project.



Residents of Chase Road voiced their disapproval last week with a plan to replace an existing intersection with a roundabout.

Representatives of Crossroad Engineers, which designed a planned $4.5 million project to widen the road, met with about 35 residents at a public hearing.

Plans call for replacing the existing offset intersection at Chase, Perrysburg and Davis roads with a roundabout.

“The roundabout is a less-cost alternative,” said Trent Newport, a consultant for the engineering firm. “We plan to provide roundabout education closer to the project to talk about how they are driven and what the benefits are. It costs substantially less money in this case.”

John Gerard, who said he had lived on Chase Road his entire life, voiced his disapproval of the plan.

“If you have a lot of traffic, they can be a nightmare,” he said. “I think a roundabout will be no more beneficial to us than the man in the moon.”

Newport said representatives from the city, county, Logansport Economic Development Foundation and the planning department decided on the roundabout alternative after reviewing options in July.

LEDF president Skip Kuker said that, in his opinion, the roundabout was clearly the best option.

“From my perspective, the roundabout is safer, more economical in this sense because it is cheaper than lining up the roads and allows a better traffic flow. This is the perfect opportunity in this off-set intersection to have a roundabout,” he said.

The immediate cost savings of building a roundabout rather than a traditional four-way intersection would be about $50,000, Newport said. A roundabout would handle a much larger traffic volume than the four-way intersection and could save potential costs for a traffic signal and the electricity costs to maintain that signal.

The four-way intersection alternative to the roundabout would require more right-of-way to line up Chase and Perrysburg roads, Newport said.

Public response to the roundabout was as predicted, Newport said.

“When it’s the first one in the community, yes, this is a very typical reaction,” he said. “Generally there are concerns because it’s new and different. But in every community the typical reaction afterwards is that they like them.”

Chase Road is a one-mile stretch of pavement between Michigan Avenue and Davis Road.

Brad Eckerle, the project manager, said the work would expand the existing 10-foot lanes to 12 feet, with a 12-foot left-turn lane from Michigan Avenue to 600 feet east of Smith Street. Chase Road would then transition to two 12-foot lanes to Davis Road.

The design will require the relocation of one residence in the 500 block of Davis Road. Newport said the home would be displaced regardless of whether the design called for a roundabout or a four-way intersection. He said designers had been in contact with Donna Weida, the owner of the residence.

“The owner does not live there,” Newport said. “She rents it or leases it. We’ve discussed it and have not heard any negative feedback from her.”

Weida said she had a tenant occupying part of the property, but she noted the tenant would not have to move until 2011 at the earliest.

“They told me the project would not begin until 2011 or 2012, and they would start at the west end,” Weida said. “My tenant will be one of the last ones disturbed.”

Project plans can be viewed at the Logansport-Cass County Library, the City Building and the Cass County Government Building for the next two weeks. Newport said the firm expected to begin obtaining right of way in early winter.

• Jennifer Tangeman is a reporter for the Pharos-Tribune. She can be reached at 574-732-5148 or jennifer.tangeman@pharostribune.com.