Date:  Friday, December 04, 2009

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

LYNDEN – Crews are ready to open the fourth and final roundabout at the Guide Meridian (SR 539)/River Road intersection Monday morning, Dec. 7, despite nearly a month of wind, rain and cold temperatures. The series of four roundabouts on the Guide is expected to improve safety and relieve congestion for the 15,000 drivers who use the highway daily.

“This roundabout is a huge safety improvement for us,” said Keith Korthuis, sales manager for Ferndale Ready Mix, whose truck drivers use the intersection daily. “It just flows better and our drivers don’t have to stop. It’s a huge improvement for getting on and off the highway.”

WSDOT has shifted the River Road intersection to the north, further from the Nooksack River Bridge, to improve sight distance and safety for drivers.

Drivers should expect minor delays tonight from 6 p.m. to 7 a.m. while crews finish paving the roundabout. Then, weather permitting, crews will again close lanes to stripe the roundabout Sunday night, Dec. 6.

The roundabout will open in a temporary one-lane configuration while crews finish building the new Nooksack River Bridge to the south. Crews will open the roundabout to its final, two-lane configuration after the bridge is complete early next year.

The first roundabout opened at Ten Mile Road on May 16, the second opened at Pole Road on Aug. 17, and the third opened at Wiser Lake Road on Oct. 21.

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

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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