Roundabout to open at 6 p.m.

Posted By Hugo Rodrigues, SENTINEL-REVIEW

Updated 23 days ago

For all the disbelievers, Oxford County had one of its own sewage-haulers and a loaned massive farm tractor with implements lined up for the media unveiling of its new roundabout.

The circular intersection, where Oxford Road 17 meets Oxford Highway 59 at the border of the City of Woodstock and the Township of East Zorra-Tavistock, reopens to traffic after a five-week shutdown today at 6 p.m.

First the tractor-trailer approached from the south, successfully negotiating the curves, doing a 270-degree arc and exiting the intersection to the west. Then the massive farm vehicle approached from the north, did a 360-degree arc and exited the intersection heading north.

"They had actually stopped using this intersection before construction because of how unsafe it was to turn left (east)," deputy warden Don McKay told the small crowd of media and dignitaries after the farm vehicle finished its drive-through.

It was an important first test of the intersection, which has faced a small number of continuous comments opposed to its presence since it was first announced over a year ago. As recently as last week, the Sentinel-Review continued to receive phone calls from truckers fearing their vehicles would not be able to negotiate the arcs.

"This roundabout is built to standards," director of public works Rob Walton said before the two vehicles drove through. "Vehicles can use the paved (asphalt) section and the (red) concrete apron is designed for the larger vehicles' rear wheels to run over if need be."

Neither of the two test vehicles ran more than the edge of a tire up on the mountable red concrete apron, but it's been designed there as an option.

Walton explained the environmental assessment for roadway improvements in the area has resulted in rebuilt culverts and a few bridge repairs and replacements on Oxford Road 17, and had originally called for a traditional four-way, traffic light controlled intersection at Oxford Road 59.

Then in consultation with other municipalities, the county realized a roundabout would be a better way to deal with traffic volumes and safety concerns. Traffic entering a roundabout travels at slower speeds and doesn't come straight on, resulting in less serious collisions when they do occur.

"It's a bit of a learning curve," admitted Walton, "but there are two things to know and they're both covered when you learn how to drive-- what does a yield sign mean, and what a one-way arrow means."

Warden Paul Holbrough explained council endorsed the recommendation for the safety reasons and also for how roundabouts -- where traffic keeps flowing and rarely needs to come to a full stop -- can deal with higher volumes of traffic in a more efficient way than four-way intersections.

"Because of the nature of how this area will continue to grow, with development, Cowan Park and keeping the flow of traffic moving, we decided on this," Holbrough said. "There may be another one planned within the Town of Ingersoll on Clarke Road in the east end."

Nearby, the City of Woodstock has included similar traffic circles on Ridgeway Drive within the Aldergrange subdivision to the east and within the Villages of Sally Creek subdivision to the west.

Traffic can begin using the intersection Wednesday at 6 p.m., and Oxford County's public works department will host guided tours of the roundabout Saturday from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Visitors are asked to come to the Woodstock Soccer Club complex on Ridgewood Drive, where they can board buses every 30 minutes that will take them through the intersection.

hrodrigues@bowesnet.com

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