Date:  Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Contact: Dustin Terpening, WSDOT communications, 360-757-5997 (Burlington)
Chris Damitio, Project Engineer, 360-788-7400 (Bellingham)

LYNDEN – For the third time in less than six months, WSDOT opened another new roundabout on the Guide Meridian (SR 539) between Bellingham and Lynden. Crews opened the roundabout at the intersection of Wiser Lake Road on Wednesday afternoon, Oct. 21, helping improve safety.

The roundabout is open in a temporary one-lane configuration while crews finish the center island curbing. Crews hope to have the roundabout open to its final, two-lane configuration within the next couple weeks.

Crews have also reopened access to and from West Wiser Lake Road at the intersection. Access has been closed since early September.

This is the third in a series of four roundabouts. The first roundabout opened at Ten Mile Road on Saturday, May 16, and the second opened at Pole Road on Sunday, July 26. The fourth and last roundabout will open at River Road later this year.

These roundabouts are part of a larger $106.7 million project, paid for with 2003 gas tax funds, that will transform the Guide Meridian into a dramatically safer and less congested four-lane divided highway from Ten Mile Road to Lynden. More details can be found on the project Web page - www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/SR539/TenmileBorder/.  

The Guide Meridian/Wiser Lake Road roundabout is the 29th roundabout to open on a Washington state highway. There are approximately 130 roundabouts across the state on city, county and state roads.

For those wanting to learn more about how to drive a roundabout, directions, statistics and videos are available on the Web and at local libraries. Educational information is available in various formats at www.wsdot.wa.gov/safety/roundabouts. Feel free to contact WSDOT via e-mail, terpenid@wsdot.wa.gov, or phone, 360-757-5997, with questions or comments.

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