Date:  Friday, August 14, 2009

Contact: Bronlea Mishler, WSDOT communications, 360-757-5947
Dustin Terpening, WSDOT communications, 360-757-5997

LYNDEN – It may not be the first to open on State Route 539, but the Pole Road roundabout will certainly open in the shortest time. Crews began work Sunday night, July 26, and plan to open the roundabout exactly three weeks later, on Sunday night, Aug. 16. That means most drivers will get their first drive through the completed roundabout at the Guide Meridian (SR 539)/Pole Road intersection south of Lynden on Monday morning, prior to the opening of the Northwest Washington Fair.

The two-lane roundabout will take the place of a traffic signal at the Pole Road intersection. Engineers believe the roundabout will improve the flow of traffic and reduce the chance of serious collisions.

“I’m pretty sure this is the roundabout that everyone has been waiting for,” said Assistant Regional Administrator Todd Harrison. “It’s the true test. If this roundabout works at Pole Road, a very busy intersection with lots of trucks, then it will work elsewhere on the Guide. If drivers help us out by paying attention to the new roundabout, we think it will be a success.”

The roundabouts are part of a larger $53.9 million project that will transform the Guide Meridian into a safer, less congested four-lane divided highway, and help support upwards of 500 jobs throughout the duration of the project.

The new roundabout is the second to open on a state highway in Whatcom County. The first opened May 16 at Ten Mile Road. It will also be the 28th to open on a state highway in Washington.

For those wanting to learn more about how to drive a roundabout, information is available on the Web and at local libraries. Education information is available in various formats at www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/SR539/TenmileBorder/. Feel free to contact WSDOT via e-mail, mishleb@wsdot.wa.gov, or phone, 360-757-5947, with questions or comments.

“Building a roundabout from scratch in three weeks was a huge effort on the part of our contractors, Max J. Kuney, KLB construction and Sail Electric,” Project Engineer Chris Damitio said. “We know the road closures and around-the-clock construction noise have been an inconvenience, and we want to thank all the drivers and residents for their patience with us during the past three weeks.”

WSDOT coordinated the intersection closure and roundabout construction with public works officials from Whatcom County. Following the WSDOT closure and Northwest Washington Fair, Whatcom County will close a section of Hannegan Road to rebuild a bridge, and will detour trucks around the area using the roundabout at the SR 539/SR 544 intersection.

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