Roundabout will improve safety, traffic flow on Well Rd. at I-20, Ouachita Parish
WEST MONROE – Today, the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development announced a $4.9 million project to construct a roundabout on LA 3249 (Well Road) at its intersection with I-20 in West Monroe, Ouachita Parish.
The roundabout will be built just north of I-20 at the Well Road on and off-ramps to the interstate, replacing what is now a stop-controlled intersection. The roundabout will significantly enhance the efficiency of traffic flow as vehicles exit and enter I-20.
Well Road in the vicinity of the interstate services approximately 20,000 vehicles per day, and provides access to a truck stop and other businesses to the south of I-20, as well as US 80 and residential areas to the north.
“We perform in-depth analysis on intersections that are potentially good candidates for a roundabout, researching crash data and patterns of traffic congestion,” said DOTD Secretary Shawn D. Wilson, Ph.D. “Replacing stop signs or traffic signals at appropriate intersections with roundabouts has been proven to markedly reduce the potential for serious crashes, not to mention ease traffic back-ups tremendously.”
Traffic patterns will be altered during various phases of the project, with temporary detour roads built on site to maintain and divert flow during most of the major construction work.
The contractor is expected to begin work in early March 2020, with the entire project anticipated to be complete in late 2020, depending on weather.
Roundabouts are one-way, circular intersections designed to improve safety and efficiency for motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians. They also help decrease fuel consumption and carbon emissions by reducing vehicle delay and the number and duration of stops, compared with signalized intersections.
Roundabouts are also designed to accommodate fire trucks, 18-wheelers, and other large vehicles.
Contact information:
Erin Buchanan
Public Information Officer
Monroe District
(318) 549-5402
erin.buchanan@la.gov
Map indicates location of new roundabout on LA 3249 (Well Rd) at the on and off ramps
at I-20 in West Monroe, Ouachita Parish. The roundabout will replace a stop-controlled intersection.