The Butler County Engineer's
Office has received an award for its Hamilton Mason Road roundabout
project at Liberty Fairfield and Vinnedge Roads. Presented by
the American Society of Highway Engineer's (ASHE) Triko Valley
chapter, the Donald C. Schramm Transportation Improvement Award
recognizes this innovative BCEO project in the category of construction
projects costing under $2 million.
Completed last year,
the project consisted of building a modern single lane roundabout
on Hamilton Mason Road at Vinnedge Road and realigning Liberty
Fairfield Road to intersect with Hamilton Mason at the new roundabout.
It was one of two major roundabouts constructed by the BCEO in
2008.
"What made this
project unique was the way it came about and the significant
cost savings to our taxpayers," said Butler County Engineer
Greg Wilkens. The pre-existing conditions consisted of Liberty
Fairfield and Vinnedge Roads being offset at Hamilton Mason with
limited sight distance and vehicles backing up during rush hours.
The original plan was to relocate Liberty Fairfield Road to align
with Vinnedge at Hamilton Mason, creating a traditional 4-way
intersection with signals. Due to the sloping, uneven terrain
in the area however, vertical alignment issues would be a problem.
To correctly engineer a conventional intersection would have
meant extending the project limits farther west. That would have
required replacing a bridge, purchasing additional right-of-way
from private property owners, and increasing the amount of materials
and asphalt used. Additionally, it would have increased the amount
of time and labor hours paid to complete the project.
BCEO design engineers
began to study the modern roundabout option and concluded that
it would not only be a safer alternative but that it would reduce
the overall scope of the project, thereby cutting the total project
cost nearly in half. The final price tag for the project was
$958,351.
The roundabout allows
traffic to move more efficiently and with greater safety through
all four legs of the intersection, acting as a traffic calming
device. Of particular note, motorists now tend to enter residential
areas along Vinnedge and Liberty Fairfield at slower speeds.
"Roundabouts are
still a relatively new concept in this region and we here in
Butler County are among the first to implement them," Wilkens
noted. "Traffic studies have proven their benefits and they
are rapidly gaining popularity throughout the country for their
ability to move traffic safely and efficiently when utilized
in the right locations. We're pleased that our local ASHE chapter
has recognized this important project."
Roadway and bridge
projects are submitted for the Schramm Transportation Award based
upon unique characteristics and difficult challenges such as
special construction techniques, maintenance of traffic, and
funding and right-of-way issues.
- Click on images
to enlarge.
- ASHE award
plaque
|
- Aerial view
of roundabout construction
|
- Completed
roundabout
- .
|
