Open house, limited-access hearing on new SR 9 roundabout scheduled for April 24

MARYSVILLE — Plans for a new roundabout on a busy stretch of State Route 9 are taking shape, and local drivers and residents are invited to attend an open house to learn more about it. On Wednesday, April 24, the public will have an opportunity to review plans for the roundabout at the intersection of SR 9 and 84th Street NE (Getchell Road), look at before-and-after images and talk with Washington State Department of Transportation staff.

April 23, 2013 3:39 am
An aerial view of the proposed roundabout at the intersection of State Route 9 and 84th Street NE (Getchell Road).
An aerial view of the proposed roundabout at the intersection of State Route 9 and 84th Street NE (Getchell Road).

MARYSVILLE — Plans for a new roundabout on a busy stretch of State Route 9 are taking shape, and local drivers and residents are invited to attend an open house to learn more about it. On Wednesday, April 24, the public will have an opportunity to review plans for the roundabout at the intersection of SR 9 and 84th Street NE (Getchell Road), look at before-and-after images and talk with Washington State Department of Transportation staff.

“This road is getting busier for commuters and freight traffic,” said WSDOT Engineering Manager Bill James. “Replacing the signal at Getchell Road with a roundabout will improve both safety and the flow of traffic. Drivers won’t need to stop at a light anymore, or, worse yet, try to beat it. The roundabout will not only get cars through there faster, it’ll get them through more safely.”

The open house will be held from 5-6 p.m. at the Marysville Getchell High School campus, and a formal, limited-access hearing will follow. Presided over by a judge, the hearing will provide an opportunity for nearby property owners and interested citizens to comment on limiting access to properties immediately next to the planned roundabout. The testimony will be confined to limited-access issues. Residents who want to offer thoughts on the roundabout may submit written comments.

The meeting site is accessible to persons with disabilities. Accommodations for people with disabilities can be arranged with advance notice by calling 206-770-3500. For those unable to attend the meeting, public testimony and comments can be mailed to:

Omar Jepperson, Project Engineer

600 108th Ave. NE, Suite 405

Bellevue, WA 98004

This intersection was the site of 43 collisions from 2007-12. Studies by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and the Federal Highway Administration have shown that roundabouts can reduce overall collisions by more than 30 percent and injury collisions by 75 percent. Additionally, roundabouts can increase traffic flow at an intersection by 30-50 percent. The WSDOT website has more information about roundabouts at www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/SR9/84thRoundabout and www.wsdot.wa.gov/Safety/roundabouts/washingtons.htm.