ROGERS, Ark. — Improvements are coming to the City of Rogers — in the form of roundabouts.
"The beauty of a roundabout is that it eliminates that left turn conflict and allows traffic to continue to flow,” John McCurdy, Director of Community development for the city, said. “They're significantly more efficient and people will spend less time in their cars if they are encountering roundabouts on their route versus traffic signals.”
As part of the Uptown Connectivity Project, the city is making improvements to intersections all over the city.
The newest one, more egg-shaped in nature than circular, will begin its construction on Champions Drive and Pauline Whitaker Parkway, right in front of Pinnacle Country Club, on February 19.
Officials are hoping to improve traffic flow and safety along the Uptown perimeter of Rogers by getting rid of stop signs and traffic lights.
“One of the most compelling things about roundabouts is that they reduce the chances of serious injury accidents by anywhere from 85 to 93%,” McCurdy said. “In a crowded area like that, you can expect to actually save lives by converting signals to roundabouts.”
The city is not just stopping with roundabouts. Other improvements coming with the project includes construction on street medians, sewer improvements, and the finishing of overpasses to help connect the west and east side of I-49.
All the work, paid for by a previous bond measure, is the city’s way of keeping up with the increase of foot and car traffic in the area due to recent developments.
“We've got a couple of major hotels that are either under construction or soon will be,” McCurdy said. “And with the Convention Center, the Walmart Amp, all these things, we see that a lot of these roads weren't originally designed to be pedestrian friendly, and we are doing things to make it safer to be able to mix cars and pedestrians all together.”
This is just one more example of how another Northwest Arkansas city is keeping up with the growth.
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