‘Hybrid’ Roundabouts Planned For Woodbury Drive Project

The Woodbury City Council on Wednesday took a detailed look at plans for the coming Woodbury Drive expansion, which include “hybrid” roundabouts at Lake Drive and Bailey Road.

The roundabouts feature two lanes in each direction for north-south traffic and one lane in each direction for east-west vehicles. (See the image with this story.)

There are similar roundabouts near the Richfield Target, City Engineer Klayton Eckles said, and they have worked well there. The roundabouts would reduce fender-benders and ease pedestrian crossing of Woodbury Drive, he said.

The area’s topography does not allow for a pedestrian underpass like the roundabout Radio Drive and Bailey Road, City Administrator Clint Gridley said.

At some point the hybrid roundabouts will likely need to be upgraded to boost traffic capacity, but it would “not be a major capital cost,” Eckles said.

Plans call for Woodbury Drive (County 19) to be expanded from two lanes to four from Park Crossing south to Saint Ambrose Church. Construction is set to begin next year.

There have been several challenges with fitting the expansion into the narrow right-of-way. Washington County is the lead agency; its motto for the project is “Every Foot Counts.” The lane widths would be reduced from the typical 12 feet to 11, and shoulders in the area would also be narrower.

Resident concerns about the project have centered on Antrim Road, where some would like to see a traffic signal, Gridley said, though engineers have found that there’s not enough east-west traffic there to justify it.

Traffic is expected to double along Woodbury Drive in the coming years and stay relatively flat on Antrim Road, Eckles said.

“Frankly, we feel very good about this design,” Gridley said.

During Wednesday’s workshop meeting, Councilman Paul Rebholz sounded off on several aspects of the project.

He started by questioning whether trails are truly necessary on both sides of the road, and if shoulders are needed at all through that stretch. (County officials have said shoulders are necessary for when police pull over vehicles.)

Rebholz also said engineers should examine the possibility of a roundabout at Antrim, and wondered why a roundabout at Park Crossing wasn’t considered as part of the project.

A roundabout at Antrim Road would likely require the removal of four corner homes at the intersection, Public Works Director David Jessup said.

Rebholz continued by saying more should be done to improve pedestrian safety, primarily at the Lake Road crossing. He suggested a flashing yellow light that pedestrians could activate and having crossing flags available, as well.

Councilwoman Amy Scoggins said she liked the ideas regarding pedestrian safety. “Anything we can do.”

Rebholz also wants a traffic analysis, an idea suggested by Woodbury staff, conducted at 12-month intervals for a few years after the project is completed.

Jessup said one year isn’t typically the best timeframe to such a study, and there would be “very little history that you base your analysis on.”

But Rebholz said residents will want feedback sooner.

“Two years will feel like a long time to them,” he said.

A neighborhood meeting about the project is set for Feb. 23. The city council will be asked for design approval at a May meeting.