Five Corners Roundabout construction to begin May 12

caution signConstruction is scheduled to begin Monday, May 12 on the Five Corners Roundabout project.

Work will continue until November, and those driving or walking through the area should expect traffic delays and pedestrian detours during construction. Please use caution when driving through the construction zone.

A public meeting will be held at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, May 21 at the Edmonds Library Plaza Room, 650 Main St. Information will be provided on the planned construction activities and project schedule.

If you have questions, contact Jaime Hawkins at 425-771-0220 or 425-754-4106 (cell);  or via email at jaime.hawkins@edmondswa.gov.

  1. Why don’t we call the roundabout…the Bertha Loop-de-Loopey?? What a WASTE of public funds!

    Too bad we never had a public referendum on this stupid project!

    1. Good info, and certainly those who claim that they don’t mitigate collisions should take note. Of course, 90% reduction of zero is still 0.

    1. Modern, slow and go, roundabout intersections have less delay than a stop light or stop sign (https://tinyurl.com/mythbustersRAB), especially the other 20 hours a day people aren’t driving to or from work. Average daily delay at a signal is around 12 seconds per car. At a modern roundabout average delay is less than five seconds. Signals take an hour of demand and restrict it to a half hour, at best only half the traffic gets to go at any one time. At a modern roundabout four drivers entering from four directions can all enter at the same time. Don’t try that with a signalized intersection.

  2. as the web site states: “Roundabouts are safe and efficient, but they are not the ideal solution for every intersection”

    if you are against it, just think of it as – a jobs program 🙂

  3. I think in Orwell’s 1984 there was a phrase something like this “the war in oceaniana is still going on.” The round about is Edmonds war. If you are in favor of the RB or if you are against the RB it gives us something to complain about. Arguments can be made PRO and CON for items like ped safety, smother traffic flow, less air pollution, fixing underground water and sewer issues, removing overhead utilities, adding fiber optic connections for future development, oh and the grants stuff too. This war will go on and on and the PROs and CON’s folks will likely not listen to or understand each others arguments. Just a suggestion, if you do not like it do not use it as a form of boycott. If you do like it use it. My guess is that those who are against it have had little experience with round abouts in general and will likely not know the best practices on how to use it either. Several Councils over the years have voted for it and I am sure they have heard all the arguments.

  4. The most prevalent opposition to the roundabout is not coming from people because they have a lack of familiarity with roundabouts, it’s because they’ve concluded it is not a good value – too big of an expensive for something that’s not needed. Anyway, that battle is over. We lost!

    1. Totally agree. The data and studies show a roundabout improves traffic flow and general safety (especially if drivers learn and follow all the rules). If the city (or tax payers) had unlimited resources there are MANY investments that could be made to improve traffic, safety, our parks and so on. The issue is, that with limited resources, a city must prioritize what are the most important things to do and direct spending based on those priorities – a cost/benefit analysis if you will. Doing something just because we could get a grant is NOT managing by priority.

  5. Thank you City of Edmonds for announcing 5 and 1/2 months of traffic delays at Five
    Corners during construction of a simple roundabout(this is NOT the Hwy 99 tunnel). We
    should also expect highly increased air pollution from traffic delays and operation of
    various diesel powered construction equipment.

    I sure hope when this project is completed we will all be invited by the City to a wonderful
    pat on the back ribbon cutting ceremony. Will coffee and cookies be provided?

  6. Be informed be for you make judgements. Roundabouts actually cut emissions – check into it . This might be a bother for awhile but it will be great in the end.

  7. question…

    roundabouts keep traffic flowing – no stop signs

    so what is that in the heart of the bowl, with a beautiful fountain???

    while traffic goes round about the fountain, i guess it isn’t a roundabout – because of the four red, eight-sided signs?

    so if after completion, we put stop signs at 5-corners, it is suddenly NOT a roundabout?

    could some please explain???

    thanx!

  8. Traffic will have to yield to pedestrians in cross walks and to other cars already in the circle. Today peds have to cross 3 or 3 lanes to reach the other side. With the new design a ped only needs to cross 1 lane and will then be on a safety island. See picture of plan at:
    https://www.edmondswa.gov/images/COE/Government/Departments/Public_Works/Public_Works_Projects/Visualization.JPG

    Today a ped has to guess at the intention of all 5 entrances and manage 2-3 lanes for a safe crossing In the completed RB they need only to observe folks making an immediate right turn or a car in the RB and signaling to leave the RB. In all cases a car can leave the flow lane and stop before the cross walk allowing for cars in the flow lane to continue.

    Take a look at the video below and see how the folks of Glen Falls NY felt about the 5 leg RB before and after construction. Note how ped get across the lanes. This design is very much like our 5 corners RB.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHnY8IGv1sY

  9. Something so expensive with a negligible return should have been submitted to the Edmonds voters in a Referendum. As an aside, whose pockets are getting lined by this project??

  10. “Too bad all the people who know how to run the government are cutting hair or driving taxicabs” George Burns

    The project is approved, and moving forward. Now, we as the City residents have a responsibility to hold Council and City accountable for delivering this project on time and on budget.

    I cannot imagine the wringing of hands and foaming at the mouth all opponents will have over the next 5 or 6 months hoping for failure, but is that at all productive? Once the ground is broken, the project will be completed. Let’s ask our City Government to deliver what they said they would deliver.

    Does anyone know how the Council Counseling sessions went?

  11. Having lived in the Five Corners area for the past 25 years I welcome this improvement. Not only will it enhance the beauty of a gateway to the “bowl” but it will also make for a much safer pedestrian crossing. People have been taking their lives into their own hands for a long time crossing this intersection.

    1. Jim – great point – I was on my daily walk down the hill – and almost got plowed into by a Prius (of all cars to get hit by, one that I weigh more than) – but I am glad to see the changes. It is not only getting rid of a traffic problem and an eyesore of a key part of the Edmonds community, but a safety issue as well. I prefer to roll the dice at Tulalip, not at Five Corners.

  12. I was against this project because the city was in deep financial trouble when the idea was first proposed. Furthermore the data submitted to the public justifying the round about was deeply flawed. So many of you who
    appear to be against it now didn’t show at any of the public hearings to voice your opinions.
    The council voted it in and it will be a benefit to our city. Those of us that did come to the hearings had ample opportunity to voice our concerns. Now lets wait for the cost overruns and enjoy our roundabout.

  13. I have lived in the Edmonds area and particularly the 5 Corners area for almost 5 years now. I have successfully navigated this intersection more times than I care to count. Many of these crossings have been pretty dicey, especially since no one knows how to act at 4 (in this case 5) way stop signs any more. Fortunately, this is a spacious intersection which is most likely the reason there have not been countless accidents. There have been many, many frayed nerves and much anger over this intersection though! I feel the roundabout is going to be a positive thing however, I also agree that at this pouint in time there are likely better uses for those funds. My biggest gripe about this is the fact that they are spending money on what to me is a lame sculpture in the center. Especilly since it is not by a Local Artist! There are many Local Artists that could have really made this RB a piece of Art. I personally feel that it was a real slap in the face to the Edmonds Community when they selected an out of town Artist. The submittals should have been strickly limited to Local Edmonds Artists. I will be utilizing and enjoying the peaceful transition of the 5 Corners intersection for many years to come but I will also continue to be upset every time I see that “sculpture” in the center. Hopefully the Gulls will have their way with it and that may just make it more attractive.
    In closing I would like to suggest that City Council (or is it City High School?) think long and hard about where they spend the taxpayers dollars or even Grant monies, I.E. the Sunset Avenue walkway. Now THAT would be a total waste of any money.

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